NTFB Urges Texas Lawmakers to Accept $450 Million to Feed Kids This Summer
Feeding Texas’ network joins over 80 organizations across the state calling for Summer EBT implementation.

North Texas Food Bank joins the Feeding Texas network in calling on state legislators to implement Summer EBT to help ensure children facing hunger have access to nutritious food when school is out.
Last summer, Texas was one of only 13 states that did not participate in Summer EBT, which is a new federal nutrition program that provides a grocery benefit to families with low-income students. The benefit is meant to make up for the loss of school meals during the summer, sometimes as many as 10 per week, per qualifying child. In NTFB’s 12-county service area alone, Summer EBT would have provided nearly $60 million in benefits to nearly half a million students in 2024. There is still time for it to have that positive impact in North Texas this summer.
“Summer break should not be filled with worry and hunger,” said NTFB President and CEO Trisha Cunningham. “Summer EBT would help fill the gap and ensure that the 1 in 5 North Texas children facing hunger stay nourished and ready to learn when school resumes.”
Summer EBT provides families with $120 in food benefits per eligible child on an EBT card, which families can use like a debit card to purchase groceries during the summer. The USDA estimates 3.75 million Texas students could be eligible to receive approximately $450 million in food aid through the program, which Trisha says is not only crucial for children but also a valuable economic driver for our communities.
“These Summer EBT dollars would provide a significant boost to food retailers and the local economy across our service area, especially for small businesses,” she says.
A school counselor who runs a district-wide pantry in NTFB’s service area told us having access to food throughout the year is just as critical for academics as pencils, notebooks and reading material.
“If their basic needs aren’t met, they can’t be successful,” she says, of her students.
To qualify for Summer EBT, families must meet the income requirements for the National School Lunch Program or be directly certified for school meals through SNAP or Medicaid. Data from Feeding Texas breaks down the potential Summer EBT benefit amount by county based on current eligibility for school meals in Texas. The data demonstrate the significant local economic impact Summer EBT could have for communities across the state. If Texas chooses not to participate in 2025, the state would be leaving these federal benefit dollars on the table for a second year in a row.
The state would also be putting an added strain on food banks like the NTFB and their partners as they work to provide the extra meals needed during the summer.
“Texas food banks are already working overtime to meet the increased need from families facing soaring food costs and long wait times for SNAP benefits,” said Celia Cole, Feeding Texas CEO. “The demand for emergency food assistance is outpacing our supply. Food banks cannot afford for our state to leave hundreds of millions of dollars on the table again in 2025 — and neither can Texas children facing hunger.”
Though Texas missed the January 1 deadline to submit a letter of intent to USDA, there is still time for the Legislature to act. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) needs direction from the Legislature by March 1 to move forward with the program for Summer 2025.
“If there is one thing all Texans can agree on, it’s that no child should go hungry,” Cole said. “Children are our most important asset, and we have a moral obligation to protect their well-being. Their nourishment and development should be a top priority, as children are the foundation of our future. Texas missed out on Summer EBT in 2024, but we don’t have to miss out again. The Texas Legislature should prioritize Texas kids and direct HHSC to implement Summer EBT by March in order to launch the program in Summer 2025.”
It is crucial that the Legislature directs the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to implement Summer EBT by March 1 to ensure the program is up and running by summer 2025. Join us by sending a letter to your state senator and representative urging them to prioritize Texas children facing hunger by supporting the implementation of Summer EBT in 2025. You can send a letter using this link https://secure.feedingtexas.org/a/summerebt.
The impact of summer EBT on each county in NTFB’s service area:
County | F/RP Eligible SY 22-23 | Benefit Amount | |
Collin County | 57,271 | $6,872,520 | |
Dallas County | 342,047 | $41,045,640 | |
Delta County | 667 | $80,040 | |
Ellis County | 22,914 | $2,749,680 | |
Fannin County | 3,148 | $377,760 | |
Grayson County | 14,138 | $1,696,560 | |
Hopkins County | 4,295 | $515,400 | |
Hunt County | 11,474 | $1,376,880 | |
Kaufman County | 20,797 | $2,495,640 | |
Lamar County | 5,539 | $664,680 | |
Navarro County | 7,759 | $931,080 | |
Rockwall County | 6,791 | $814,920 | |
TOTAL | 496,840 | $59,620,800 |