Enterprise News: Brockton families received additional food benefits to help during the pandemic. Not all have claimed them.
BROCKTON — More than 1,300 cards with food benefits for families of Brockton students have gone unclaimed.
The cards were provided through the Pandemic EBT program to help families feed their children during the coronavirus pandemic.
"We know how challenging it can be for families in the city of Brockton to access food during this very difficult time," said Mayor Robert Sullivan in a video conversation about food security. "Really this program provides an extra help to those families."
The cards may have not been activated for a number of reasons, like if the family changed addresses or the card got lost in the mail, he said.
Through the Pandemic EBT program, families receive nearly $30 a school day for each student. Each student has received a total of about $400 in food benefits that have been made available in two installments, Sullivan said.
Families with students participating in the USDA's National School Lunch Program are eligible for the pandemic food benefits. All Brockton students are eligible for free meals through the program's "community eligibility provision" for high-poverty schools.
People can use the card to buy food at retailers that accept SNAP benefits, which is most grocery stores, shops and the city's farmers market.
"We want to make sure that every single federal dollar given to the students and families in the city of Brockton are utilized," Sullivan said.
Using the benefits at local stores will also help Brockton's economy and support local businesses, farms and other food providers, he said.
For families who already receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Benefit Program and Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children, pandemic funds are automatically loaded onto their EBT cards.
Those who don't receive benefits but have children qualify for free or reduced school meals should have received a pandemic EBT card in the mail.
Those who have not received a pandemic EBT card can visit www.MAP-EBT.org for more information. They can also call the Brockton Public Schools Parent Information Center at 508-894-4596 with questions or help with actions like receiving a replacement card.
The state received federal approval in April to promote increased food security through the pandemic EBT program.
The Shah Family Foundation, which focuses on education and healthcare, and Project Bread, which addresses hunger in the state, have partnered with the state's Department of Transitional Assistance and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to promote food security.
In a video conversation with Jill Shah of the Shah Family Foundation, First Lady Lauren Baker said more than 500,000 students have received benefits through the Pandemic EBT Program.
"The most important thing is that our children receive healthy food that they love and that it's easy for families to access the food that they need for dietary reasons, cultural reasons or just to have a little extra help buying healthy food each week," she said. "That's what it's all about."
Staff writer Mina Corpuz can be reached at mcorpuz@enterprisenews.com. Follow her on Twitter @mlcorpuz.