Georgia families miss out on summer food benefits as state opts out of program

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - School is out and many families are ready for vacations and fun, but for some kids, summer means wondering where their next meal will come from.

Thousands of children in Muscogee County depend on SNAP benefits to eat. Funding cuts under the latest state budget means some families in Georgia will not receive that extra help toward food.

Tashanna Hill is a single mom of four. She says ever since school let out, her grocery bill has been more expensive.

“Ever since school been out, my grocery bill has been more expensive. It keep getting expensive,” Hill said.

Summer EBT program

The Sun Bucks program is a summer EBT benefit that gives eligible parents a one-time payment of $120 per child over the summer months. The money is designed to help cover extra meals when school cafeterias are closed.

Several states, including Alabama, opted in. But Georgia did not, affecting thousands of kids in Columbus and in rural areas.

Hill said that extra money from the Sun Bucks program would have made a big difference.

“It would’ve helped us provide more food and keep us stable, you know, to the next school year,” Hill said.

Local organizations step in

With no Sun Bucks in Georgia, local organizations are stepping in. Feeding the Valley Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program serves between 3,000 and 5,000 children a day during the summer, and officials expect even more this year.

“We were already expecting more kids with the economy,” said Margalena Remington.

Remington said the Kids Cafe program is about making sure no kid goes without a hot meal.

“We had one child cry because he got a chicken leg. He was so happy that he got a chicken leg. When you’re going to these sites and even at E. Canty and Wilson, knowing that these kids are eating something is very, very important,” Remington said.

Feeding the Valley along with other organizations delivers hot meals at several sites in Columbus during the summer break.

Remington said the food bank is always accepting donations and volunteers.