In Nebraska, summer meals are now more accessible, flexible, and responsive to the needs of families. Thanks to strong community partnerships and innovative strategies, families have more options to access the food they need during the summer months.
Summer EBT
When schools close for the summer, thousands of children can lose access to the nutritious meals they depend on during the school year. Summer EBT, helps bridge this gap by providing families with additional resources to keep children fed when school is out. The program can complement free summer meals in communities or be a support for families that live in areas that don’t have access to free summer meals.
Summer EBT has added a critical layer of support to summer nutrition efforts. Launched nationwide in 2024, the program served approximately 21.3 million children across 37 states, the District of Columbia, all five U.S. territories, and two Indian Tribal Organizations. This year, participation has expanded to 37 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, all five U.S. territories, and five Indian Tribal Organizations.
No Kid Hungry Nebraska applauds our leaders in making child nutrition a priority and ensuring Summer EBT helps eligible children access meals during the summer months.
In Nebraska, eligible families will receive nearly $24M in grocery benefits, benefiting nearly 200,000 children statewide. The deadline for families to apply for benefits is September 2025.
Help families in your community access these critical summer grocery benefits! Encourage families to visit https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Summer-EBT.aspx to learn more about the Summer EBT program and find summer meal resources in their area.
Non-Congregate
New rural non-congregate meal delivery and pickup options, such as home delivery, mobile meal routes, and multi-day meal pick-up are now available in Nebraska.
This summer, non-congregate summer meal programs are being offered by 33 sponsors across Nebraska, helping families overcome barriers such as lack of transportation or long distances to meal sites
While there is still work to do, there has been progress in expanding rural access to summer meals. This summer, rural communities like Crete, NE are serving up 4 days worth of meals (breakfasts and lunches) on Wednesdays from 4-5 pm. The program is growing each week with over 70 meal packs served just last week!
No Kid Hungry Nebraska is committed to continuing this momentum. We’re partnering with schools, local community-based organizations, and state agencies to provide support, expand program reach, and ensure every child in Nebraska has access to the nutrition they need this summer.
