Okla. (KXII) – Later this year, the USDA will implement Summer EBT, a new spin on an existing nutrition program.

The CEO and President of Hunger Free Oklahoma Chris Bernard says that the program has actually been around for a while.

“It’s actually been operating since the pandemic started,” Bernard said. “It was called Pandemic EBT, and it was designed to cover the cost of meals that people missed because of quarantine and all of those things.”

Now, the program will provide grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children while schools are closed for the summer.

“It doesn’t just fight food insecurity,” Bernard said. “It stimulates local economies, creates jobs and frankly supports a lot of struggling rural grocery stores that rely on SNAP and these sorts of benefits to continue running.”

Bernard says the state’s decision not to participate is disappointing.

“Especially because honestly, Oklahoma’s kind of been a leader at leveraging these programs over the last few years,” Bernard said.

One of every five children in Oklahoma is living through food insecurity, and the state spends $2 billion per year on food security programs.

In a statement from Governor Kevin Stitt, he said that they will keep working to make sure that no child in Oklahoma goes hungry, but they believe that large, duplicative federal programs won’t accomplish that goal.

“We know they see the importance of nutrition, food security and their overall mission to serve these families,” Bernard said. “So we’re disappointed that these administrative hurdles caused them to decide not to do it.”

Although Oklahoma won’t participate state-wide, both the Cherokee and Chickasaw Nation have signed up for the program, and there are still plenty of programs out there for those in need.

“If you are on free lunch or your kids on free lunch, that income threshold is the same as SNAP,” Bernard said. “SNAP is the most impactful food insecurity benefit we have in the country.”

Bernard encourages everyone to reach out to their local legislators and give their opinion on the issue.

“There’s great opportunity to make sure more kids have access to the nutrition they need so they can thrive at school,” Bernard said. “Just because the bill hasn’t been filed yet doesn’t mean it won’t be, but (legislators) need to know it’s important to their constituents.”

For more information on Hunger Free Oklahoma and their resources, click here.

For more information on finding no-cost meals for kids in the summer, click here.

For more information on SNAP and how to apply in Oklahoma, click here.

For more information on SNAP and how to apply in Texas, click here.

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