Thanks to a new program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program (Summer EBT) – an estimated 21 million children will qualify for hundreds of dollars each in grocery benefits starting this summer.
The program will be similar to SNAP, another federal food assistance program. States, tribes, and U.S. territories will provide families with $120 per eligible child for the summer to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets or other authorized retailers.
All told, USDA figures that it will have provided nearly $2.5 billion in grocery benefits.
“Summer grocery benefits are becoming a reality for many communities across the nation and for tens of millions of children who will receive the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and thrive,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“We applaud all the leaders and partners who are stepping up to make the program’s inaugural year a success. Together we’re making progress in closing the summer hunger gap and ensuring children are nourished and healthy year-round.”
Who gets what where
To start, 35 states, all five U.S. territories, and four Tribes plan to be the first to launch the new program. When Summer 2025 arrives, all 50 states should be involved. The 2024 rollout includes:
American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Cherokee Nation Chickasaw Nation Colorado Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Connecticut Delaware Guam Hawaii Illinois | Indiana Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Minnesota Missouri Montana Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico | New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oregon Osage Nation Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island Tennessee Utah U.S. Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin |
That’s just the half of it
In addition to the new Summer EBT venture, USDA has two other summer food programs that low-income families may not know about.
One is an alternate meal service option for rural communities. This summertime program offers in-person meal service where it is not available. With it, summer meal operators have the option to provide meals via grab-n-go or delivery.
The other option is in-person meal sites. Community centers, schools, and other central locations remain a vital part of these summer nutrition programs, providing a sense of community and enrichment opportunities for children.
One technical note about the program’s “Summer Meals Site Finder”: It’s currently non-functioning, but you can check back in early May 2024 when the Site Finder will go live again for the 2024 summer period.
Free farmers market coupons for seniors, too
EBT/SNAP is familiar to many low-income families, but senior citizens might not know they’ve got a special program of their own: the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).
The program aims to provide low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs.
What’s particularly inviting about this program is that the quantifiable income limit is 185% of the Federal poverty guidelines. So, a senior living alone would need to have income of $26,973 or less and a married senior couple, $36,482.
If you get the average-sized Social Security check of $1700 and you’re totally dependent on that, you more than qualify for the program.
A total of 46 U.S. states offer the program. Full details on how to apply are available here.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-01-12 12:07:19
