California SUN Bucks offers hungry kids help in summer. How it works

MEANS KIDS ACROSS THE STATE ARE ON VACATION. AND THERE IS A STATE PROGRAM MAKING SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE KIDS DON’T GO HUNGRY, AND THEY WAIT FOR FALL. JOINING US THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT SUN BUCKS IS KATHY SEELEY. GOOD MORNING KATHY. GOOD MORNING DEIRDRE. SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES WHO ARE ELIGIBLE IN THIS. AND THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF THE PROGRAM. HOW WOULD THE FAMILIES KNOW IF THEY’RE ELIGIBLE? AND THEN ALSO HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS? WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS ABOUT 5 MILLION CHILDREN HAVE ALREADY BEEN DETERMINED ELIGIBLE BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. AND SOME BUCKS CARDS ARE IN THE MAIL AND ON THE WAY. FAMILIES WHOSE LAST NAMES BEGIN WITH A THROUGH L WILL GET THEM THIS MONTH, AND M THROUGH Z FAMILIES WILL GET THEM NEXT MONTH. THEY’LL GET A SOME BUCKS CARD IN THE MAIL WITH $120 OF BENEFITS THAT CAN BE USED AT A GROCERY STORE OR FARMER’S MARKET, OR EVEN ONLINE. AMAZON AND WALMART. I MEAN, AND THIS IS BASICALLY LIKE THE SUMMER EBT PROGRAM. I’LL BE HONEST, IF I GOT A CARD LIKE THAT IN THE MAIL, I MIGHT NOT THINK IT WAS LEGIT. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THAT? WE ARE. PEOPLE RECEIVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE MAIL THESE DAYS, BUT THE SOME BUCKS CARD HAS THE SOME BUCKS LOGO ON IT. IT WILL COME IN A MORE PLAIN ENVELOPE FOR SECURITY REASONS. BUT IF FAMILIES JUST GOOGLE CALIFORNIA BUCKS 2025, YOU’LL SEE SOME BUCKS LOGO AND THEN YOU’LL KNOW YOU HAVE A SOME BUCKS CARD AND YOU SHOULD CREATE A PIN NUMBER FOR IT. THERE’S INSTRUCTIONS, AND THEN YOU CAN START SPENDING THAT MONEY, WHICH FAMILIES REALLY NEED. WHEN KIDS ARE HOME ALL DAY AND THEY’RE USUALLY GETTING THEIR MAYBE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AT SCHOOL. AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THEIR MOM, I’M HUNGRY. I NEED SOMETHING TO EAT. SO IF YOU HAVE LIKE A SCHOOL MEAL APPLICATION OR YOU YOU RECEIVE BENEFITS LIKE CALFRESH OR CALWORKS, EVEN MEDI-CAL, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ALSO BE OFFERED OVER THE SUMMER. LET’S SAY THAT IT HASN’T BEEN OFFERED TO YOU. IS THERE A WAY TO REQUEST SOME HELP? YES. SOME FAMILIES WILL NEED TO APPLY. THEY CAN ASK THEIR CHILD’S SCHOOL FOR UNIVERSAL BENEFITS APPLICATION, AND THAT APPLICATION DOES NEED TO BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 2ND. AND THEY CAN TURN THAT APPLICATION BACK INTO THE SCHOOL, BUT THEY CAN’T NECESSARILY TURN IT THAT QUICKLY TO GET THE HELP THIS SUMMER. THEN NO, THEY CAN ANYTIME BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER 2ND. YOU CAN FILL OUT THAT APPLICATION AND YOU WILL GET THE BENEFIT. OKAY. IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE. GREAT. AND WE HAVE A QR CODE THAT’S UP THERE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. SO PEOPLE CAN ALSO JUST SCAN THAT TO GET TO EVERYTHING THAT KATHY WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT. WELL THANK YOU. I HOPE PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT UP AND REALIZE IT IS LEGIT. AND IT IS THERE TO TRY TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BI