This year children in Hawaiʻi will get more federal money for summer meals to account for the state’s high food costs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will give local kids $59 per month for food during the summer — higher than the $40 provided to those on the continental U.S.
“This adjustment will mean more money to buy food for kids in need,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I thank Secretary (Tom) Vilsack for working with us to boost this benefit and help feed more kids across Hawai‘i.”
The money is being distributed through the Summer Pandemic EBT program meant to keep keiki in low-income families from going hungry.
The program was made permanent last year, and Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation argued that the USDA should send more money to local children to match the higher costs of food.
“Food costs in Hawaiʻi, especially on neighbor islands, are significantly higher than costs on the continental United States, and I am pleased that the USDA is taking this important step to help feed over 100,000 children across the state and to get us closer to ending child hunger,” said U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda.
The federal government also made adjustments to other food assistance programs in Hawaiʻi such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast programs.
