New Jersey Bolsters Child Nutrition with $120 Summer EBT Program

Officials Celebrate Success and Expansion of Meal Initiatives for Children

Morristown, NJ — State and local officials, including New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn, gathered July 18, 2024, at Pemberton Early Childhood Learning Center in Burlington County to spotlight the achievements of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the innovative Summer EBT initiative, which provides substantial support to low-income families during the summer months.

“Even though the school year has ended, the nutritional needs for children still need to be met,” Pemberton Township School District Food Service Supervisor Barbara Wells said. “Hunger does not take the summer off, and we are working to ensure that all who are eligible have access to healthy summer meal options."

New Jersey leads the nation in delivering summer meals to children, as per the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) report, offering nearly five million meals through 1,272 feeding sites statewide in 2023 alone. This initiative is critical in districts where over 50% of students are eligible for the National School Lunch Program.

A significant enhancement to this effort is the Summer EBT program, which supports over 600,000 eligible children in New Jersey by providing families with $120 per child. This funding helps families purchase nutritious food during the summer break. New Jersey proudly stands as the first Mid-Atlantic state to receive USDA approval for this beneficial program for the year 2024.

The Pemberton district, which has approximately 700 children participating in its Summer Food Service Program, has already served over 6,000 meals this summer across five different sites. Additionally, the district offers a unique rural non-congregate feeding program to ensure all eligible children have access to necessary nutrition.

Established in 1976, the SFSP ensures that children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during the school vacation. It also caters to individuals over 18 with disabilities through certain public or nonprofit private programs.

Families looking to learn more about the Summer Food Service Program or interested in becoming a sponsor should visit New Jersey's Summer Food Service Program. To locate nearby feeding sites, contact the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-348-6479 or text 'Food' to 877-877.

For additional details on the Summer EBT and its benefits in New Jersey, visit New Jersey Summer EBT. This initiative is a pivotal step towards combating child hunger and ensuring all children have access to healthy food, regardless of their family's financial status during the summer months.