More children in rural Nevada will have access to healthy foods this summer when school is out of session. Reno Public Radio's Michelle Billman explains why.
Nevada is getting a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help expand a program that provides debit cards to families in need who can use those funds to purchase food at local grocery stores. It's called the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program, and this year, it's expanding to cover every designated rural county in the state.
"The children that receive this benefit are on free or reduced lunch within their school system, and many of these children count on those school meals to receive their nutrition."
That's Michelle Walker with Nevada's Women, Infants, and Children program. She says they're targeting rural areas where it can be more challenging for families to access feeding sites because of distance and lack of transportation. The debit cards can be used in June, July, and August, and only for specific items, like milk and produce.