RELEASE: Maryland Leads the Country in New Initiative to Fight Childhood Hunger During Summer and Winter Break
April 4, 2019
Annapolis, MD – Maryland is leading the country with a new solution to remedy the
unacceptable reality of child hunger. Senator Cory McCray and Delegate Pam Queen
championed the Summer SNAP for Children Act (SB 218/HB 338), which recently passed the
legislature. No Kid Hungry Maryland, the Critical Issues Forum, and the Family League of
Baltimore applaud the Maryland General Assembly for passing this bill to ensure that children
have access to the nutrition they need when school is out of session during the summer and
winter breaks.
“Summer SNAP for Children will reduce poverty and hunger for vulnerable children in
Maryland,” said Kevin Large, Director of No Kid Hungry Maryland. “We thank all members of the
Maryland General Assembly for their work to expand access to healthy food throughout the
summer and winter school break. We especially want to recognize lead sponsors Senator
McCray and Delegate Queen as well as Chairwoman King, Chairwoman McIntosh and Delegate
Korman. No Kid Hungry Maryland is committed to ending childhood hunger and ensuring that all
Maryland kids get to grow up healthy, happy, and strong. Summer SNAP for Children is an
important step in right direction.”
“Maryland’s innovative Summer SNAP for Children will provide a $30 monthly cash benefit for
food to low-income children during the summer months and $10 during winter break to reduce
food insecurity and improve the diets of low-income children,” said Steven Mandel, Co-Chair of
the Critical Issues Forum. The Critical Issues Forum is comprised of three synagogues located
in Montgomery County that advocates for effective solutions to food insecurity and hunger in
Maryland.
“We are fortunate to have leaders like Senator McCray and his steadfast commitment to the
children and families of our City, and House sponsor Delegate Queen for her leadership on this
issue,” said Demaune Millard, President and CEO of the Family League of Baltimore.
Nearly 1 in 4 residents in Baltimore City live in a food desert, and nearly 200,000 City residents
depend on their SNAP benefits for access to nutritious food.
“The new Summer SNAP for Children program will help to further close the food insecurity gap
for families and children, particularly in summer months when school meals are no longer
available. The program will also serve as a path toward economic vitality by growing the market
share of Baltimore’s local grocery stores and neighborhood markets that provide fresh produce
to our communities. We look forward to supporting the new Summer SNAP for Children
program and hope to see sustained local and state investment in the program over the years,”
Millard added.
