AUSTIN, TX, September 18, 2025 — As Hunger Action Month calls attention to the crisis of food insecurity, a broad coalition of faith leaders, nonprofit directors, educators, community stakeholders, and representatives from across Texas deliver a joint letter to Governor Greg Abbott urging him to reconsider Texas’ participation in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program.
More than 3.8 million children in Texas who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch during the school year are at heightened risk of going hungry when school meals disappear. Summer EBT is a federal program that provides families an additional $40/month per eligible child during the summer months ($120 total) to help bridge this gap. Nearly one in five Texas children face food insecurity, and Texas’ continued decision not to participate in the program leaves approximately $450 million in fully federally funded nutritional assistance per year on the table.
Adding urgency to the call, advocates note that for the second year in a row, Texas remains the hungriest state in the country, with more families struggling to put food on the table than anywhere else in the nation.
“Hungry children do not learn or grow as they should. The long-term social and economic costs of food insecurity—borne by families, schools, health systems, and taxpayers—are well-documented and avoidable,” the letter states. “Across the state…even the most committed networks of volunteers and donors cannot match the scale and reach of public infrastructure.”
In June, Governor Abbott vetoed a bipartisan effort by the Texas State Legislature that would have allowed Texas to implement Summer EBT, citing concerns over future changes to national food benefit programs, specifically Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal funding sources. However, Summer EBT match rates remain unchanged, giving Texas a renewed opportunity to act.
The coalition is calling on Governor Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows to pledge to reimburse the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for the program’s administrative costs of $60 million, a modest amount when compared to the $1.6 billion in economic impact it is expected to yield. They also note that emergency budget transfers have historically been used to address urgent needs outside of Legislative sessions and could be applied in this circumstance.
“Texas kids deserve the chance to thrive, and they need leaders willing to act boldly to support their growth and well-being,” said Stacie Sanchez Hare, director of No Kid Hungry Texas. “We respectfully urge Governor Abbott and his team to address the realities Texas families face and to strongly consider the impact that Summer EBT participation could have in Summer 2026 and beyond.”
The letter underscores the rising costs of food due to inflation, which has put even middle-class families at risk of food insecurity, making state participation in Summer EBT more critical than ever.
To learn more about No Kid Hungry Texas’ advocacy work and to read the full letter, please visit https://state.nokidhungry.org/texas/.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.
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