Hunger Solutions Minnesota has asked the City to share important information about resources available to families of school-aged children. When schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minnesota’s students lost access to school breakfast and lunch. For students who receive free & reduced price school meals, this has been a big gap in their access to food.
The USDA recently approved the state of Minnesota’s application for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) to help families replace the meals their children lost because schools are closed. A lot of Minnesota’s students are eligible for the "Pandemic - Electronic Benefit Transfer" program (P-EBT).
Families with children ages 5-18 as of Sept. 1, 2019, are eligible for P-EBT benefits if their child’s school is closed due to COVID-19 and:
- They were receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) benefits as of March 18, 2020; or
- Their child was receiving free or reduced-price school meals during the 2019-2020 school year; or
- Their child is enrolled in a school that offers free school meals to all students regardless of the family’s income.
For more information, please see eligibility and application information at hungersolutions.org. This is time-sensitive information. Applications are due July 31. Please spread the word!
