New program offering free groceries for kids every summer

WASHINGTON - Keeping food on the table can be stressful for parents. This summer, a new food benefit program aims to ensure children stay fed.

Sun Bucks, a new EBT program, is set to assist approximately 500,000 students with food. It's a pre-loaded card with $120 for groceries. You can think of it as an added boost to your family's grocery budget.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or whose households receive SNAP benefits are automatically enrolled in Sun Bucks.

For more information about Sun Bucks, visit the Washington Department of Social and Health Services here.

If your family does not apply, kids can still receive extra assistance. Washington public schools offer two free meals daily without registration through the USDA.

"There's no need to register for the program," said Jason Lesley, Supervisor of Nutrition Services at SPS. "It's federally funded, open to children ages 1 to 18, and breakfast and lunch are available at most sites."

Sun Bucks work in tandem with the free summer meals program to make sure kids are healthy all year long.

Spokane Public Schools distribute about 1,500 meals daily at 30 locations, including parks, apartment complexes, and schools.

"When school is out it puts a burden on families to continue having that meal for breakfast and that meal for lunch that's not going to be of cost to them. So, it really does factor into the family's economic budget," said Lesley.

Through the free summer meals program, or SUN Meals, kids of all ages can eat meals and snacks during the summer at no cost. To find a location near you, visit this website.

COPYRIGHT 2024 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.