Iowa state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott released the following statement following the start of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services issuing Summer P-EBT cards to provide food assistance for Iowa children who qualify for free or reduced lunch during the school year.
“I’m happy and relieved to see our state follow through on feeding hungry Iowa kids,” Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott said. “This is the right thing to do – these cards will go a long way toward meeting the need.”
The cards being sent to eligible households should be received by early October. Eligible families will receive EBT cards in the mail with $120 per eligible student that can be used at grocery stores. According to HHS there are 240,000 Iowa children who are eligible.
“At a time when food pantries are reporting all-time highs, finding ways to increase access to food is more important than ever,” Trone Garriott said. “If you’re a household with eligible school-age children, make sure to check your mail.”
The food assistance program began its rollout after Sens. Trone Garriott and Izaah Knox sent a letter along with state Rep. Sean Bagniewski to the governor in June requesting that the state apply for the funds. At the time, Iowa was one of the few states that had not yet applied. The full letter is available here.
Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, is the ranking member on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
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