Save Mart, Food Bank team up to promote SUN Bucks

The Central California Food Bank (CCFB) and The Save Mart Companies joined forces Friday morning to remind Valley residents that there is still time to enroll in the SUN Bucks program — a new grocery benefit available throughout most of the country to assist families with school-aged children who are struggling with food insecurity.

SUN Bucks, a program started by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, provides eligible families with $40 per-child, per-month during the summer, a time when many families struggling with food insecurity experience hardships in maintaining healthy eating habits and keeping food on the table.

The SUN Bucks program hopes to alleviate some of the burdens that are introduced when children are not provided with the benefit of in-school meals.

“So many students and their parents get benefits during the school year,” said Jennifer Shelton, director of public relations and government affairs for Save Mart. “They get their assistance through breakfasts and lunches at school, but in the summertime, they don’t have those pre-paid meals.”

Eligible families have until Aug. 31 to apply and receive full benefits from the SUN Bucks program; families approved will receive the full $120 offered for each of the summer months of June, July and August.

CCFB has partnered with The Save Mart Companies for some time now, emphasizing the importance of local organizations partnering with local corporations to promote programs to assist those struggling with hunger.

“The private/public partnership is what helps organizations like Central California Food Bank thrive,” said Natalie Caples, co-CEO at CCFB. “The ability to be able to see a need in our community and feel like you have a corporate responsibility to rise and support that issue but also to rise and be a model for other local corporations or organizations to come to the table.”

Friday also gave the local media the chance to connect directly with a recipient of the SUN Bucks program, as well as CalFresh. She echoed the support of healthier options made by CCFB and The Save Mart Companies that emphasized the importance of healthy eating in growing children.

“It’s good to give them the vegetables especially because I have a special-needs son who has a sensitive palate,” Karina, a single and working mother of three said. “With the SUN Bucks program it helps a lot because fruits and vegetables are very expensive.”

She added that access to healthier options helps both her family and others to avoid more expensive and often less nutritious junk foods and fast food options.

Karina expressed her thanks for the CalFresh and SUN Bucks program and encouraged those eligible to sign up for the program.

“Don’t be afraid to sign up,” she said. “This program really helps out a lot, especially during the hard times.”

Families enrolled in CalFresh, CalWorks or MediCal are automatically enrolled in the program and do not need to take additional steps.

Families interested in enrolling who are not also enrolled in CalFresh, CalWorks or MediCal programs can apply here until Aug. 31.