Mayor Larson Reminds Minnesota Families of Available Food Benefit

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson reminded Minnesota families Monday of a temporary food benefit for which they may qualify.

She posted the reminder on her Facebook page:

MN students can get $325 for groceries to make up for lost school meals. The federally-funded Pandemic EBT offers one-time deposits of $325 per child on payment cards, which can be spent at grocery stores and farmers markets for up to one year.
Help spread the word and make sure every family gets the resources they need to make sure they are fed.

 

The program she is referring to is called P-EBT and it's designed for students who are normally able to get free or reduced price school meals.

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.

You can follow the link below for complete information and to apply for the program.  Be prepared to have the following information available:

• Names of children
• Birthdates of children
• Children’s school name
• Name of parent
• Parent’s birthdate
• Parent’s phone number or email address
• Address on file with the child’s school
• Current mailing address.