Gov. Cooper recently hosted an event that included the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services Administrator, Cindy Long, NCDHHS, and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to celebrate the launch of SUN Bucks, a food assistance program to help feed more than one million North Carolina children this summer.
Starting next week, eligible families will receive a one-time payment of $120 per child to purchase nutritious foods during the summer — a critical benefit for the one in six children in North Carolina who live in households without consistent access to food.
Most eligible children and families automatically qualify for the SUN Bucks program with no action needed to receive the $120 payment. Benefits will be issued beginning Friday, June 14. Families with children receiving food and nutrition services will see their SUN Bucks benefits loaded onto their existing EBT card, and all other children will receive a SUN Bucks card in the mail.
NCDHHS will send an email or text message to families with children who do not automatically qualify but may be eligible for SUN Bucks with instructions about how to apply. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 31, 2024, for the 2024 summer period.
For more information, visit the updated SUN Bucks website and read the SUN Bucks frequently asked questions. Eligibility requirements are available in English and Spanish. To contact a SUN Bucks customer representative, families can dial 1-866-719-0141 and press option 2. To learn more about summer nutrition programs and to find summer meal sites in your area, visit NCDPI’s Summer Meals webpage.
Contributed.
