THE SOUTH DESERVES EQUITABLE FOOD SECURITY
As part of our commitment to ensure equitable access to healthy food and resources for all Southern residents, we provide crucial information and coordinate campaigns regarding SNAP Benefits and other nutritional programs/initiatives.
SUMMER EBT/SUN BUCKS
What is Summer EBT/SUN Bucks
The Summer EBT/SUN Bucks program ensures that qualifying families whose children receive free and reduced school lunches during the school year will receive $40 per child in federally funded, pre-loaded SNAP/EBT cards for every month of summer break. Summer EBT will continue to be a permanent program going forward.
Despite its effectiveness, 13 states, including five in the South opted out of participating in this program for summer of 2024. With the 2025 decision deadline approaching, SEAP is intensifying its efforts to ensure these states do not miss the opportunity to safeguard the health and well-being of their children.
FIVE SOUTHERN STATES LEFT MONEY ON THE TABLE
In the South, where child hunger rates are among the highest in the nation, the need for Summer EBT is particularly urgent in the states —Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida— that chose not to participate for summer of 2024.
Mississippi, for instance, has over 159,000 children facing hunger. In Florida, more than 900,000 children are food insecure, while South Carolina and Georgia have 176,000 and 356,000 children, respectively, struggling with hunger, according to Feeding America. These staggering figures highlight the dire need for comprehensive support systems to provide children with the nutrition they need to thrive.
UPDATE: Alabama has opted in for Summer 2025.
Not Participating Participating
RESOURCES FOR ADVOCATES
The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) are working to ensure all states implement Summer EBT in Summer 2025. This resource highlights the flexibilities and aid that USDA is providing states to lessen the administrative burden.
The official deadline for submitting a state’s Interim Plan of Operation and Management (iPOM) for the Summer EBT program is August 15, 2024. Meeting this deadline is crucial for states to begin accessing administrative funds for the program. However, according to the USDA’s iPOM template, states can request a waiver to extend this deadline, providing them additional time to prepare and submit their plan. This waiver can be requested at any time before the January 1, 2025 notification deadline. For more details, please refer to Section 1.4 in the linked document.