A letter to the editor was recently published in The Leader regarding the Food Co-op’s ability to serve EBT customers during this crisis. We take food access very seriously and consider it to be one of the main pillars in how we contribute to the health of our community. Consequently, we would not want to jeopardize our ability to take EBT/SNAP benefits from those who use them, which is why we double-checked at the Washington Department of Health and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services the entities that govern usage of SNAP/EBT. Both reaffirmed that cashiers are never allowed to touch an EBT card, nor are they supposed to enter in a PIN. Only an authorized representative for the EBT holder is allowed to have to have the customer’s PIN, or both the authorized representative and the store could be stripped of EBT privileges.
We do recognize this can be a barrier for some, and we have been working on finding a solution. Very soon, we will have a mobile unit that we can take out to the car for EBT customers to enter their own PIN when picking up curbside orders. With the current COVID crisis, we are also facing challenges with supply including IT hardware. Please know that we are working diligently to solve the problem and will have our new unit implemented as soon as it is possible.
Our staff is amazing, doing the best they can during these challenging times, and they continue to do it with compassion, skill, and a slice of forgiveness. Please take a moment to thank those on the front lines for their service and be patient as we work towards implementing solutions to new challenges.
With kindness,
Kenna Eaton, general manager
The Food Co-op
