For Immediate Release: 01/29/2025
Contact: Jared Williams, 682.715.9793 or jared.williams@tafb.org
Tarrant Area Food Bank Urges Texas Legislature to Implement Proven Summer EBT Program to Reduce Childhood Hunger
TAFB Joins Feeding Texas and 80+ Organizations Across the State to Advocate for Summer EBT to Fight Childhood Hunger in Texas
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) joins the Feeding Texas network of 20 food banks and more than 80 organizations across the state in encouraging Texas legislators to implement Summer EBT for 2025. In 2024, Texas did not participate in this federal nutrition program, which helps families with children living on low incomes access groceries during the summer months when school meal programs are unavailable. If implemented, the program could bring $450 million in federal aid to the state, helping to reduce hunger and support local economies.
“Summer hunger is a reality for 1 in 4 children living across our 13-county service area,” said Julie Butner, President & CEO of Tarrant Area Food Bank. “When children go without the food they need, it impacts their health, development, and readiness to learn. Summer EBT offers Texas an opportunity to bridge the gap during the summer months and provide essential support to families who need it most.”
As part of its commitment to addressing childhood summer hunger, TAFB works year-round to provide solutions through its Ready to Learn™ Initiative, including servicing 100 in-school markets across its service area. These markets help ensure students and their families have access to nutritious food at home throughout the school year including breaks. However, summer remains a critical time when children lose access to school meals, making Summer EBT a vital complement to TAFB’s efforts to reduce childhood hunger.
Summer EBT provides families with $120 in food benefits per eligible child on an EBT card, which can be used like a debit card at grocery stores. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the program could benefit up to 3.75 million children in Texas, delivering $450 million in federal funds to help families put food on the table.
“Programs like Summer EBT help ensure children have the nutrition they need to thrive,” Butner said. “At the same time, they are a smart investment in local communities, supporting grocery retailers and small businesses that rely on these dollars to grow and create jobs.”
In Tarrant Area Food Bank’s 13-county service area alone, this program could provide $41.9 million in federal supplemental nutrition assistance to more than 183,000 children and $64.5 million in local economic impact. This program would make a meaningful difference for families and the local economy. To qualify for Summer EBT, families would be required to meet the
income requirements for the National School Lunch Program or be directly certified for school meals through SNAP or Medicaid.
Although Texas missed the January 1 deadline to submit a letter of intent to the USDA, there is still time for the Texas lawmakers to act. The Texas Legislature must direct the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to implement the program by March 1 to ensure families can access Summer EBT in 2025.
View Data: Estimated Number of Eligible Kids, Summer EBT Benefit Amount, Local Economic Impact, and Meals by County
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About Tarrant Area Food Bank
TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK (TAFB): One of the largest charitable organizations in its 13-county service area, TAFB provides over 1 million nutritious meals weekly and food & nutrition education programs to those facing hunger through its network of 400+ partner agencies, volunteers, and donors. As a member of Feeding America, TAFB empowers communities to alleviate hunger and improve health. For more information, visit www.tafb.org.
