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Summer Food Relief Matters More Than Ever: Michigan’s SUN Bucks Program Steps In as Federal Threats Loom

May 29, 2025

Michigan's SUN Bucks program is providing temporary food assistance to families during summer months when school meals are unavailable, offering $40 per child monthly from June through August via EBT cards with automatic enrollment for those already in programs like SNAP. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Congress are proposing stricter work requirements for SNAP recipients and shifting costs to states, which Michigan officials warn would devastate vulnerable families and local economies. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes that federal food benefits are necessities, not luxuries, and cutting them would force families into impossible choices between buying groceries or paying bills.

Who is affected

  • Michigan families, especially Black families in Detroit
  • Households receiving SNAP benefits (13% of Michigan households in 2024)
  • Children who rely on free and reduced school meals
  • Low-income households and working-class parents
  • Single mothers, grandparents caring for grandchildren
  • Local grocery stores and neighborhood shops
  • Communities already facing disinvestment

What action is being taken

  • Michigan is implementing the SUN Bucks program providing $40 per child monthly during summer months
  • Benefits are being automatically issued through EBT cards to families already enrolled in SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF
  • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is monitoring the situation of potential federal cuts
  • Michigan is analyzing the potential impacts of proposed food assistance reductions on local communities
  • Republicans in Congress are pushing proposals for stricter work requirements on SNAP recipients

Why it matters

  • The $120 per child over the summer helps fill the meal gap when school is out but doesn't replace comprehensive assistance
  • Potential federal cuts would force families to choose between buying groceries or paying bills
  • Food insecurity affects health outcomes, education, and economic mobility
  • Local economies depend on food assistance spending at grocery stores and farmers markets
  • Cuts would disproportionately impact Black families, rural families, and the working poor who already face economic inequity
  • Grocery stores in urban neighborhoods rely on the buying power provided through food assistance

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle