Starting Monday, children across New Mexico can access free meals and grocery assistance through the summer food service program and the Sun Bucks initiative. The free meal program includes over 400 meal sites statewide at locations such as churches, parks and schools. Breakfast and lunch are available for students aged 1 to 18, with older students who have disabilities also eligible. The state’s Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) is also offering grocery assistance through the Sun Bucks program, which provides eligible families with $120 per child on a pre-loaded card to purchase groceries. Families can still apply for the program. “New Mexico has for many years struggled with high rates of food insecurity, especially for children,” said Kendal Chavez, deputy cabinet secretary for the ECECD. “It’s both an access to calories and again, making sure those calories are high quality and as nutritious as possible. Not all children know how to prepare their own high-quality meal at home. So having a park that’s close by and being able to pop over there and grab a meal is great,” Chavez said. The state aims to distribute one million meals this summer, which would be 250,000 more than last year. Families participating in the Sun Bucks program will receive their funds starting June 15, with monthly payments in June, July and September. A total of 250,000 students are expected to benefit from the program, amounting to $30 million in assistance.
Starting Monday, children across New Mexico can access free meals and grocery assistance through the summer food service program and the Sun Bucks initiative.
The free meal program includes over 400 meal sites statewide at locations such as churches, parks and schools. Breakfast and lunch are available for students aged 1 to 18, with older students who have disabilities also eligible.
The state’s Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) is also offering grocery assistance through the Sun Bucks program, which provides eligible families with $120 per child on a pre-loaded card to purchase groceries. Families can still apply for the program.
“New Mexico has for many years struggled with high rates of food insecurity, especially for children,” said Kendal Chavez, deputy cabinet secretary for the ECECD.
“It’s both an access to calories and again, making sure those calories are high quality and as nutritious as possible. Not all children know how to prepare their own high-quality meal at home. So having a park that’s close by and being able to pop over there and grab a meal is great,” Chavez said.
The state aims to distribute one million meals this summer, which would be 250,000 more than last year. Families participating in the Sun Bucks program will receive their funds starting June 15, with monthly payments in June, July and September. A total of 250,000 students are expected to benefit from the program, amounting to $30 million in assistance.
