August 8, 2024 – Today Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, Department of Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, USDA Food and Nutrition Service Policy Advisor, Alberto Gonzalez, Jr. and partners from the City of Harrisburg, Feeding Pennsylvania, and Central Pennsylvania Food Bank visited a Harrisburg Summer Food Service location to highlight the SUN Bucks program, a new summer benefit for children that can be used to purchase fresh food and groceries at retailers around Pennsylvania. The Shapiro Administration is focused on making sure kids have enough healthy, nutritious food to thrive and grow – whether in school or over the summer.
This federal program provides households with children who already receive free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program during the school year with a SNAP-like benefit to purchase food for the summer months when school is not in session. Because this is the first year of the program, benefits will start to be issued beginning in mid-August for Summer 2024. All 2024 SUN Bucks benefits will be issued by the end of October. Most eligible children will receive the benefit automatically and do not need to apply, but households who need to apply must apply by August 31. Families can use the Sun Bucks Eligibility Navigator to see if they need to complete an application.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to helping parents have the resources they need to keep their children fed so they can grow and thrive. The new SUN Bucks program will provide eligible households with critical dollars to help bridge the gap during the summer break and ensure that children have enough to eat,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Congress for their work to allow states to extend this support to families for summer months, and I urge all Pennsylvania families whose kids get free or reduced-price meals during the school year to use our Eligibility Navigator to see if they are automatically eligible or if they need to get their SUN Bucks application in by August 31.”
Speakers include:
Dr. Val Arkoosh, Secretary of the Dept. of Human Services (DHS)
Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, Secretary of the PA Dept. of Education (PDE)
Alberto Gonzalez, Jr., USDA FNS Chief Policy Advisor
Nelva Wright, Health Officer for the City of Harrisburg
Julie Bancroft, Feeding PA Chief Executive Officer
Tara Davis, Central PA Food Bank SVP/Chief Program Officer
Rep. Dave Madsen