The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) served nearly 30,000 students and 650,000 meals this summer through two essential food assistance programs: the Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) Program and the Summer Food Service Program. The initiatives fill gaps in food assistance left by the absence of school meals during the summer break.
“Food scarcity doesn't stop because school is out, and the rising cost of food is impacting families deeply,” said Shelly Rector, senior director of health services food and nutrition programs for the Choctaw Nation.
The Summer EBT program provided grocery benefits worth $40 per child per month to qualifying families from mid-May through early August. The program served nearly 30,000 students from 83 schools across the reservation.
