New York City parents still have time to enroll their school-age kids for $120 in summer food benefits.<\/p>\n
The federally funded program known as summer EBT<\/a> gives low-income families money to spend on food and groceries while schools are closed and not offering free meals. Summer can be particularly challenging for families who can\u2019t afford to put food on the table while juggling childcare and rising food costs, according to emergency food advocates.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always refer to summer as the hungriest time of year,\u201d said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York<\/a>, an anti-hunger organization.<\/p>\n No Kid Hungry released a survey<\/a> earlier this year that found \u200athree-quarters of New York families have to choose between paying for groceries or covering household expenses.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe had caregivers tell us that they skip meals or have a much smaller portion to make sure their children are eating. We had caregivers tell us they hide food because they want to make sure there’s food at the end of the month for their children,\u201d Sabella said.<\/p>\n Families who are already enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Medicaid are automatically eligible for summer EBT and the money will be loaded onto their EBT cards. Families who earn below certain income levels can apply for the program until Sept. 8.<\/p>\n Summer EBT benefits expire 122 days after the money is loaded onto the EBT cards so food advocates say parents should make sure to use the money before it expires. Across the state about 2 million children are eligible for summer EBT and state officials estimate they\u2019ll issue $240 million in benefits.<\/p>\n Sabella said this summer is particularly challenging because of new federal work requirements<\/a> for SNAP benefits that require adults to prove they are working, volunteering or in school to receive their benefits for more than three months. So far, more than 22,000 New Yorkers<\/a> have lost their SNAP benefits.<\/p>\n Families in New York City can also visit a summer meal program run by NYC\u2019s Department of Education. Schools, parks, pools and libraries offer free breakfast and lunch to all children under 18. No application or identification is required.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the sites may change throughout the summer, they can do this seven days a week,\u201d Sabella said.<\/p>\n