Feeding Pennsylvania

Shapiro Administration Highlight New SUN Bucks Summer Food Program Feeding Kids While School is Out, Encourages Eligible Families to Apply: https://bit.ly/3YyHynb DHS Secretary Valerie Arkoosh, MD, MPH, Pennsylvania 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.”

The new SUN Bucks program, a summer benefit for children that can be used to purchase fresh food and groceries, is here to help kids thrive this summer. Eligible households can receive up to $120 per child to buy grocery items. Many eligible families will receive benefits automatically, but SUN Bucks applications are open until August 31st. Learn more about SUN Bucks at https://lnkd.in/ek2C4SBU. Thank you to The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh for highlighting this program and for hosting Feeding PA CEO Julie Bancroft during this informational press conference.

Kolb's Farm Store in Spring City (Chester County) has been in business for nearly fifty years and processes milk from the fifty cows on the farm. Kolb’s has been a loyal partner within our charitable food network in southeastern Pennsylvania, working with Share Food Program, Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities and Chester County Food Bank. When asked about her experience partnering with local charitable food organizations, owner Casi Long stated, “I would encourage other producers to work with food banks on their programs to procure local food products as they provide an opportunity to grow your business, help build a greater connection in your community and expose your products and brand to more people." Read more about Casi, Kolb's Farm Store and how they help support their business by supporting their local communities at https://lnkd.in/e4T2yuPx. 📸 : Kolb's Farm Store

Feeding Pennsylvania is disappointed by the General Assembly’s decision to flat-fund core nutrition programs in the FY25 Commonwealth budget. Despite a $14 billion budget surplus and on the heels of new data from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap report showing a twenty-five percent increase in food insecurity across Pennsylvania, neighbors experiencing hunger have been left behind. Read Feeding Pennsylvania's full statement at https://lnkd.in/eW6TM6vU.

Have you registered to volunteer at your local Feeding Pennsylvania member food bank on #PADay? Spots are filling quickly, so make sure to register soon! Learn more about the initiative and register to volunteer at bit.ly/PADay24. #PAProud America250PA Feeding PA Member Food Banks: Central Pennsylvania Food Bank CEO (Commission on Economic Opportunity) Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Helping Harvest Food Bank Mercer County Food Bank Philabundance Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania Westmoreland Food Bank

Recently, three Feeding Pennsylvania member food banks, CEO (Commission on Economic Opportunity) Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, were awarded grant funds from the AllOne Foundation. These funds will be used to address fresh food access and nutrition in order to combat diseases in the thirteen-county footprint of the AllOne Foundation.

Registration is open to volunteer on Pennsylvania Day, a volunteer effort in partnership with America250PA to celebrate the PA by giving back to communities across the commonwealth. Find your closest volunteer site, learn more, and register to volunteer at bit.ly/PADay-2024.

Today, we celebrated World Milk Day and a generous donation from Weis Markets, Chobani, Kraft Heinz, Upfield, Lactalis Group, Dannon, and Tropicana Brands Group to Fill a Glass with Hope, Feeding PA's charitable milk program run in partnership with the PA Dairymen's Association and the American Dairy Association (Northeast). Donations to Fill a Glass with Hope allow the charitable food network to meet the need of fresh milk at our food banks while simultaneously supporting Pennsylvania's dairy farmers and processors. This month, shoppers at Weis Markets across the Commonwealth can round up their purchase at the register to donate to Fill a Glass with Hope and to help provide nutritious milk to our neighbors facing hunger.

USDA’s most recent data reported the highest rate of food insecurity in the U.S. - 12.8% - since 2014. It was also the largest annual increase since the Great Recession. We urge Congress to pass a strong #FarmBill that strengthens nutrition programs like TEFAP and SNAP and helps families get back on their feet.

SNAP relieves pressure on overwhelmed emergency food providers like food banks & pantries that could not begin to meet the need for food assistance if SNAP eligibility or benefits were reduced. Congress must strengthen SNAP in the #FarmBill.