Maryland’s SUN Bucks program sees success in battling summer break food insecurity
MARYLAND – A new grocery assistance program is seeing huge success in Maryland as officials round out its first year.
Smashing Success
The SUN Bucks program was built based on the state’s existing summer SNAP program. Already, it has served tens of thousands more children than state officials had anticipated.
“We have reached over 586,000 children across the state of Maryland, and by the end of this month, we will have invested more than $71 million directly into the hands of families with grocery-buying benefits,” said Maryland Dept. of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Rafael Lopez.
How the Program Works
Under the program, eligible families are provided $40 per month per child, for the three months that school is out. It adds up to $120, and the money is loaded onto a Maryland EBT or SUN Bucks card. That way, families can choose the foods that work for them.
Secretary Lopez says that DHS worked with the state Department of Education to estimate how many families might be eligible for the new program. He says it was that data-driven approach that helped them to reach more folks in need.
“Why would we make you jump through multiple hoops when we know you’re eligible?” Secretary Lopez said. “That is the difference between the early, more conservative estimates and the numbers that we’re seeing now.”
Feeding More Bellies
Under the 2023 Summer SNAP program, 90,571 children were served, at a cost of $4,505,812 to local jurisdictions.
That cost only served as a barrier for some jurisdictions; Secretary Lopez says on the Eastern Shore only Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Wicomico County were able to take part. And, it’s often those on the Eastern Shore that face barriers to accessing food.
“Last year, we only served 3,500 kids on the Eastern Shore. This summer, we are thrilled to report we’ve served 36,000 children on the Eastern Shore,” Secretary Lopez said. “For the Eastern Shore, [barriers] range from access to transportation, access over food desserts, and being able to get into a grocery store.
Data provided by Maryland Dept. of Human Services
Food Insecurity Never Stops
However, food insecurity doesn’t follow county lines or summer break, says Associate Director of No Kid Hungry Maryland, Kara Panowitz.
“Hunger is a huge issue in Maryland, especially with our youth and our younger population. I don’t think people realize how big of an issue it is,” Panowitz said. “Every county, every city has kids that are struggling with hunger in every school.”
Summer break can be especially challenging for families already struggling to put food on the table.
“During the school year, kids have access to school meals. A lot of them get free meals. During the summer, kids aren’t at school. So, they don’t have access to those free meals,” Panowitz said. “We’ve heard from lots of families that this is just a huge boost for the summer. It makes them have to worry less.”
Panowitz says programs like SUN Bucks are especially crucial following the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is a whole new wave of people now that find themselves in situations where they can’t supply the meals that they would like to,” Panowitz said. “I would just encourage everyone to take advantage of this. It’s a really great benefit.”
Looking Ahead
The deadline to apply for this year’s SUN Bucks program is August 31st, 2024. Secretary Lopez says those who are eligible and apply by that date will receive all $120 of the funding, retroactively. Taking part in the program does not impact immigration status.
Secretary Lopez highly encourages Marylanders, including those on the Delmarva Peninsula, to find out if they can get in on the benefits.
“We anticipate that by the end of this month, we’ll probably have $1.5 million in direct grocery-buying benefits in the hands of Eastern Shore counties,” Secretary Lopez said.
For more information about the SUN Bucks program, click here.
