TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation is now accepting applications for its Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program, which is designed to ensure students have access to nutritious meals during the summer months.
The Summer EBT for Children program is offered through the Cherokee Nation Women, Infant and Children program, thanks to funding provided through a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Food insecurity among children is a problem year-round, but it is especially concerning during the summer months when children are often unable to access school meals. With help from the USDA, we are able to put parents’ minds at ease that their children will continue to receive nutritious meals even though the school year is over,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “Food security has been one of our top priorities, and we are thankful for this partnership with the USDA to be able to get low-income families the support they need.”
Qualifying families will receive approximately $30 of free food per child per month for May, June and July. Benefits are accessed through an EBT card, which works like a debit card, allowing for the purchase of healthy food for the summer.
The program is federally-funded and is available to both Native and non-Native students in more than 50 participating school districts in Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes and Sequoyah counties.
To qualify for this program, students must be enrolled in participating school districts in grades pre-K through grade 12 and receive free or reduced lunches at school. Participation in this program will have no impact on any government assistance that parents or children may currently receive.
The deadline to apply is April 15.
For more information on the Summer EBT for Children program, call 539-234-3265 or e-mail wicsebtc@cherokee.org.
For a list of participating schools and to find the online application, visit https://health.cherokee.org/
About Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the federally recognized government of the Cherokee people and has inherent sovereign status recognized by treaty and law. The seat of tribal government is the W.W. Keeler Complex near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. With more than 380,000 citizens, 11,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma and the largest tribal nation in the United States.
To learn more, please visit www.cherokee.org.
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