Rafferty: Ensuring students don’t go hungry over summer break
It’s no secret I am passionate about helping students receive the necessary resources to succeed. This includes nutritious school meals that ensure students don’t have to learn on an empty stomach.
That passion doesn’t stop when schools release students for summer break. While summer may seem like a nice break for children, it is also a break where they don’t have the same access to free school meals. With so many families struggling with food insecurity in addition to those just struggling with the increase in grocery costs, we must do what we can to help ensure kids don’t go hungry when school is out.
One key resource is the SUN Bucks program offered through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Office for Family Independence. SUN Bucks provides families a one-time benefit of $120 for each eligible school-aged child to supplement the summer grocery budget until classes and regular school meals resume in the fall. For many families, this extra benefit will happen automatically. Some families, however, may have to apply. The eligibility criteria are based on whether your household already participates in benefits like SNAP, DFPIR, or TANF; if your child’s specific school offers the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program; and whether your household income meets the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals. With so many working-class families operating at the brink, this program can help folks ensure their kids have access to nutritious foods while working towards financial stability.
In Maine, nearly 100,000 children are eligible for the SUN Bucks benefit, which will be available to families by the end of June 2024. Families can begin applying now, and applications need to be submitted no later than August 15. Families who are already enrolled will receive a notification letter. To enroll in SUN Bucks, follow this link: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/programs-services/food-supplement.
Students may also be eligible to receive the Summer Food Service Program benefits through SUN Meals. This program is meant to assure eligible families that their children can continually have access to well-rounded meals while school is not in session. Free meals provided meet the federal nutritional guidelines and are provided to children 18 years and younger in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children. To find summer meal sites in our community, check out www.maine.gov/doe/hotlunchsummer or text “Summer Meals” to (914) 342-7744. The Maine Department of Education anticipates information becoming available by the end of June. Certain communities even offer SUN Meals To-Go.
For more information on how the United States Department of Agriculture is supporting kids when school is dismissed for the summer, follow this link: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/promotion.
It is often said it takes a village to ensure our kids have the strong start they need to succeed not just in school and in life. It is something I’ve believed wholeheartedly and have witnessed firsthand as an educator and coach. With these vital programs, we can keep our kids fed and on track for the future. As always, if you have any questions or concerns or are looking for more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my office by email at Joe.Rafferty@legislature.maine.gov or by phone at 287-1515.
Sen. Joe Rafferty is a Democratic state senator representing the towns of Berwick, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, North Berwick and Wells.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rafferty: Ensuring students don’t go hungry over summer break
