RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia program that helps families with school-aged children access meals during the summer is returning.
Virginia SUN Bucks provides eligible families with $120 per child to help with groceries during the summer months.
Most eligible families are automatically enrolled, so if you participate in SNAP or TANF, you should have seen that money active in your accounts on Friday, July 18.
If your child received free or reduced lunch during the school year, you are also automatically eligible.
However, you at home could also receive this free money to help cover food costs for your child.
Sarah Steely, director of No Kid Hungry Virginia, explains that their call center is open five days a week and ready to talk through the eligibility requirements and help you sign up, as she knows how much this money is needed.
Steely says that about a year ago, they surveyed 1,300 Virginians about their experiences with hunger and buying groceries, and she notes that over three-fourths of those Virginians said it had become harder to afford food in the last year.
“Over 60% of families with K-12 students in the public school system said that they are having to make a tough trade-off between buying food or paying a utility bill, or buying food or paying for medicine," Steely noted. "And that is an agonizing choice that no Virginia family should have to make. Virginia SUN Bucks is not the only solution, but it is here to help."
The deadline to apply for Virginia SUN Bucks is August 30, and while summer is over for most families at that time, you could still be eligible for this one-time summer payment when the school year begins.
You can call 866-513-1414 Monday through Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. to talk to a Virginia SUN Bucks representative or visit virginiasunbucks.com.
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