When schools close their doors for the summer, millions of children lose access to what may be their most reliable source of nutritious meals. A new USDA program is set to help make a difference for kids and their families this summer and will work in combination with Second Harvest Food Bank programs to help ensure every child has access to the nourishment they need to thrive and strive all summer long toward the bright future they envision for themselves.
The new SUN Bucks program (also known as Summer EBT) will provide eligible families with $40 per child per month (that school is out) to assist families with the purchase of groceries. It's an enhancement to federal nutrition programming that was a long time coming, after years of steadfast advocacy on the part of Feeding America, its affiliate food banks (including Second Harvest), and a coalition of organizations centering families, nutrition, and health through their mission work.
SUN Bucks will work in tandem with an array of Second Harvest programs this summer to nourish children and families. These programs include Second Harvest's core Food Distribution Program (providing food supplies, including summer meal boxes, for food pantries and other food assistance programs across the region); the Community Meals Program (delivering nutritious, prepared meals to summer programs serving children), the Mobile Nutrition Services Program (delivering produce bags and nutrition programming in collaboration with community partners across the region), and the Mobile Pantry Program (providing supplemental groceries for families in rural communities where a lack of transportation and distances to grocery stores and food pantries can be real barriers for families struggling with food insecurity).
The new program SUN Bucks program could not have started at a better time. Across Second Harvest Food Bank 18-county service area, increasing numbers of residents are requesting food assistance for their families. Rising costs for rent and child care continue to be sited as driving factors behind these increasing requests.
This summer, with your continued support, Second Harvest will do all we can to help ensure that all children have consistent access to nutritious food. We look forward to sharing the stories of our work this summer and beyond here on this blog and across our social channels.
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Now through June 30, 2024, every dollar you give will be matched by a generous Circle of Champions eager to inspire gifts of support to Second Harvest to help ensure no child or family goes without the nourishment they need this summer. Feed a child and fuel a future today.
