Meeting needs of hungry kids in the most responsible way

When COVID-19 hit, it made sense and it was necessary, to identify a way to feed kids in need that didn’t require person-to-person interaction.

The federally funded Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) was born from that era. It has now morphed into the Summer EBT program – one that front loads money onto cards for the purchase of $40 of groceries per child per month, capping at $120 per recipient.

Addressing food insecurity is important and necessary, but the S-EBT program is not necessary and it is not adequate to meeting the needs of children. I would be the first to admit that for a long time, I had blinders to the struggles that confront our communities – urban and rural. Handing out money is not enough to meet kid’s needs.