{"id":1000,"date":"2024-08-04T15:00:09","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T15:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/?p=1000"},"modified":"2024-08-05T14:39:09","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T14:39:09","slug":"families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"Families struggle to eat in Republican-led states that denied federal aid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crystal Ripolio had tears in her eyes as she walked the produce line at the Good News Outreach food bank in Tallahassee. It was the bags of ripe peaches that did her in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have anything in our fridge,\u201d Ripolio said.<\/p>\n

Ripolio and her 8-year-old daughter, Isabella, walked away with paper bags filled with those peaches, other produce, bread and canned goods\u2014grateful for the help she said they desperately need.<\/p>\n

Millions of American children are going without extra food this summer, after 13 states declined to participate in a\u00a0federal program<\/a>\u00a0that helps families in need buy groceries.<\/p>\n

Thirty-seven states, four U.S. territories and five Native American tribes are benefitting from the program, according to the Department of Agriculture.\u00a0Qualifying families<\/a>\u00a0with children who rely on school meals to get enough to eat are getting an extra $120 per child this summer to help feed their kids.<\/p>\n

Ripolio, who has two school-aged daughters, could have received an extra $240 deposited directly onto an electronic benefits transfer or EBT card, but Republican-led Florida isn’t taking part.<\/p>\n

She said she has been helping Isabella deal with some challenging medical issues lately and hasn\u2019t been able to work. The extra money would have really helped by allowing her to buy more basics such as bread, milk and cereal, Ripolio said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you kidding? I\u2019ve been holding onto $17 for three months,\u201d she said, referring to her dwindling finances.<\/p>\n

The federal program known as Summer EBT or SUN Bucks gives money to\u00a0qualifying families<\/a>\u00a0who can then use it to shop at grocery stores and farmers markets. The initiative is designed to help feed children who receive free or reduced-priced meals at school, but who often go hungry during the summer.<\/p>\n

According to an analysis by the advocacy group Food Research and Action Center, for every 100 children who received a free or reduced-price meal during the 2021-2022 school year, only 11 got a summer lunch in July 2022.<\/p>\n

Layla Santiago, a single mom from Jacksonville, said she\u2019s been piling her five kids\u2014all between the ages of 2 months and 10 years\u2014into an Uber to get to local food pantries this summer, because she lacks consistent access to transportation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know there\u2019s other mothers like me that don\u2019t have transportation, that may need the food but just can\u2019t get to it,\u201d Santiago said.<\/p>\n

The states<\/a>\u00a0that declined to participate in the program cited reasons such as problems with aging state computer systems, philosophical opposition to welfare programs, and a belief that existing free meal programs are sufficient. All 13 are led by Republican governors.<\/p>\n

Under the terms of the Summer EBT program, the federal government covers the cost of the benefits for families, but states must split the administrative costs 50\/50.<\/p>\n

An estimated\u00a02 million<\/a>\u00a0Florida children could have benefited from more than $258 million in aid this summer if state officials hadn\u2019t turned it down. Nationwide, roughly 21 million kids are being fed by the program this year.<\/p>\n

Asked whether the state would participate next summer, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis directed inquiries to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which did not respond. A spokesperson for the DCF previously told the\u00a0Orlando Sentinel<\/a>\u00a0that the state\u2019s current programs are sufficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe anticipate that our state\u2019s full approach to serving children will continue to be successful this year without any additional federal programs that inherently always come with some federal strings attached,\u201d spokesperson Mallory McManus said.<\/p>\n

Ropolio, standing outside the food bank just a short walk from the governor’s mansion in Florida’s capital, said she didn’t understand why the state passed up federal money that could have made a difference to her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf other states are able to do it, why can\u2019t we?\u201d she asked. “That doesn’t make sense.”<\/p>\n

Service providers have applauded the work of a state-administered summer meal program that operates out of schools, public libraries and community centers. But such programs only reach a fraction of the children who are eligible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a huge gap that we\u2019re not meeting,\u201d said Paco V\u00e9lez, the president of the food bank Feeding South Florida. \u201cThe easiest way to meet that gap is to fill the EBT card with dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

A recent report by the United Way found that nearly half of Florida families are struggling to make ends meet. Food bank operators say that although demand has stabilized since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need still exceeds pre-pandemic levels, as families grapple with inflation.<\/p>\n

Advocates are urging state officials to apply to participate in the program next summer. States face an initial\u00a0deadline<\/a>\u00a0of Aug. 15 to notify the federal government of their intent to participate, with a subsequent deadline of Feb. 15.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Santiago said she\u2019s trying to take her kids to a summer meal program at the local library when she can and stretching what she has left in the pantry each month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to try to find a way with my kids,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cI\u2019m trying my best. But \u2026 it\u2019s still not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press\/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.\u00a0Report for America<\/a> is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Crystal Ripolio had tears in her eyes as she walked the produce line at the Good News Outreach food bank in Tallahassee. It was the bags of ripe peaches that did her in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have anything in our fridge,\u201d Ripolio said.<\/p>\n

Ripolio and her 8-year-old daughter, Isabella, walked away with paper bags filled with those peaches, other produce, bread and canned goods\u2014grateful for the help she said they desperately need.<\/p>\n

Millions of American children are going without extra food this summer, after 13 states declined to participate in a federal program<\/a> that helps families in need buy groceries.<\/p>\n

Thirty-seven states, four U.S. territories and five Native American tribes are benefitting from the program, according to the Department of Agriculture. Qualifying families<\/a> with children who rely on school meals to get enough to eat are getting an extra $120 per child this summer to help feed their kids.<\/p>\n

Ripolio, who has two school-aged daughters, could have received an extra $240 deposited directly onto an electronic benefits transfer or EBT card, but Republican-led Florida isn’t taking part.<\/p>\n

She said she has been helping Isabella deal with some challenging medical issues lately and hasn\u2019t been able to work. The extra money would have really helped by allowing her to buy more basics such as bread, milk and cereal, Ripolio said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you kidding? I\u2019ve been holding onto $17 for three months,\u201d she said, referring to her dwindling finances.<\/p>\n

The federal program known as Summer EBT or SUN Bucks gives money to qualifying families<\/a> who can then use it to shop at grocery stores and farmers markets. The initiative is designed to help feed children who receive free or reduced-priced meals at school, but who often go hungry during the summer.<\/p>\n

According to an analysis by the advocacy group Food Research and Action Center, for every 100 children who received a free or reduced-price meal during the 2021-2022 school year, only 11 got a summer lunch in July 2022.<\/p>\n

Layla Santiago, a single mom from Jacksonville, said she\u2019s been piling her five kids\u2014all between the ages of 2 months and 10 years\u2014into an Uber to get to local food pantries this summer, because she lacks consistent access to transportation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know there\u2019s other mothers like me that don\u2019t have transportation, that may need the food but just can\u2019t get to it,\u201d Santiago said.<\/p>\n

The states<\/a> that declined to participate in the program cited reasons such as problems with aging state computer systems, philosophical opposition to welfare programs, and a belief that existing free meal programs are sufficient. All 13 are led by Republican governors.<\/p>\n

Under the terms of the Summer EBT program, the federal government covers the cost of the benefits for families, but states must split the administrative costs 50\/50.<\/p>\n

An estimated 2 million<\/a> Florida children could have benefited from more than $258 million in aid this summer if state officials hadn\u2019t turned it down. Nationwide, roughly 21 million kids are being fed by the program this year.<\/p>\n

Asked whether the state would participate next summer, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis directed inquiries to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which did not respond. A spokesperson for the DCF previously told the Orlando Sentinel<\/a> that the state\u2019s current programs are sufficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe anticipate that our state\u2019s full approach to serving children will continue to be successful this year without any additional federal programs that inherently always come with some federal strings attached,\u201d spokesperson Mallory McManus said.<\/p>\n

Ropolio, standing outside the food bank just a short walk from the governor’s mansion in Florida’s capital, said she didn’t understand why the state passed up federal money that could have made a difference to her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf other states are able to do it, why can\u2019t we?\u201d she asked. “That doesn’t make sense.”<\/p>\n

Service providers have applauded the work of a state-administered summer meal program that operates out of schools, public libraries and community centers. But such programs only reach a fraction of the children who are eligible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a huge gap that we\u2019re not meeting,\u201d said Paco V\u00e9lez, the president of the food bank Feeding South Florida. \u201cThe easiest way to meet that gap is to fill the EBT card with dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

A recent report by the United Way found that nearly half of Florida families are struggling to make ends meet. Food bank operators say that although demand has stabilized since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need still exceeds pre-pandemic levels, as families grapple with inflation.<\/p>\n

Advocates are urging state officials to apply to participate in the program next summer. States face an initial deadline<\/a> of Aug. 15 to notify the federal government of their intent to participate, with a subsequent deadline of Feb. 15.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Santiago said she\u2019s trying to take her kids to a summer meal program at the local library when she can and stretching what she has left in the pantry each month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to try to find a way with my kids,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cI\u2019m trying my best. But \u2026 it\u2019s still not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press\/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America<\/a> is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[14],"class_list":["post-1000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-elections","tag-politics"],"_wp_page_template":null,"_form":null,"_mail":null,"_mail_2":null,"_messages":null,"_additional_settings":null,"_locale":null,"_hash":null,"_wp_attached_file":null,"_wp_attachment_metadata":null,"_menu_item_type":null,"_menu_item_menu_item_parent":null,"_menu_item_object_id":null,"_menu_item_object":null,"_menu_item_target":null,"_menu_item_classes":null,"_menu_item_xfn":null,"_menu_item_url":null,"_wp_attachment_context":null,"_thumbnail_id":"1040","newscrunch_views":"388","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":null,"_wp_attachment_is_custom_background":null,"_wp_desired_post_slug":null,"_customize_restore_dismissed":null,"_edit_last":"1","_edit_lock":"1722868611:1","newscrunch_site_layout":"","newscrunch_page_sidebar":"sidebar-1","newscrunch_page_left_sidebar":"left-sidebar","_wp_trash_meta_status":null,"_wp_trash_meta_time":null,"newscrunch_post_video_embed":"","_custom_header_image_id":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"4","yoast_head":"\r\nFamilies struggle to eat in Republican-led states that denied federal aid - The America Project<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Families struggle to eat in Republican-led states that denied federal aid - The America Project\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Crystal Ripolio had tears in her eyes as she walked the produce line at the Good News Outreach food bank in Tallahassee. It was the bags of ripe peaches that did her in. \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything in our fridge,\u201d Ripolio said. Ripolio and her 8-year-old daughter, Isabella, walked away with paper bags filled with those peaches, other produce, bread and canned goods\u2014grateful for the help she said they desperately need. Millions of American children are going without extra food this summer, after 13 states declined to participate in a federal program that helps families in need buy groceries. Thirty-seven states, four U.S. territories and five Native American tribes are benefitting from the program, according to the Department of Agriculture. Qualifying families with children who rely on school meals to get enough to eat are getting an extra $120 per child this summer to help feed their kids. Ripolio, who has two school-aged daughters, could have received an extra $240 deposited directly onto an electronic benefits transfer or EBT card, but Republican-led Florida isn't taking part. She said she has been helping Isabella deal with some challenging medical issues lately and hasn\u2019t been able to work. The extra money would have really helped by allowing her to buy more basics such as bread, milk and cereal, Ripolio said. \u201cAre you kidding? I\u2019ve been holding onto $17 for three months,\u201d she said, referring to her dwindling finances. The federal program known as Summer EBT or SUN Bucks gives money to qualifying families who can then use it to shop at grocery stores and farmers markets. The initiative is designed to help feed children who receive free or reduced-priced meals at school, but who often go hungry during the summer. According to an analysis by the advocacy group Food Research and Action Center, for every 100 children who received a free or reduced-price meal during the 2021-2022 school year, only 11 got a summer lunch in July 2022. Layla Santiago, a single mom from Jacksonville, said she\u2019s been piling her five kids\u2014all between the ages of 2 months and 10 years\u2014into an Uber to get to local food pantries this summer, because she lacks consistent access to transportation. \u201cI know there\u2019s other mothers like me that don\u2019t have transportation, that may need the food but just can\u2019t get to it,\u201d Santiago said. The states that declined to participate in the program cited reasons such as problems with aging state computer systems, philosophical opposition to welfare programs, and a belief that existing free meal programs are sufficient. All 13 are led by Republican governors. Under the terms of the Summer EBT program, the federal government covers the cost of the benefits for families, but states must split the administrative costs 50\/50. An estimated 2 million Florida children could have benefited from more than $258 million in aid this summer if state officials hadn\u2019t turned it down. Nationwide, roughly 21 million kids are being fed by the program this year. Asked whether the state would participate next summer, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis directed inquiries to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which did not respond. A spokesperson for the DCF previously told the Orlando Sentinel that the state\u2019s current programs are sufficient. \u201cWe anticipate that our state\u2019s full approach to serving children will continue to be successful this year without any additional federal programs that inherently always come with some federal strings attached,\u201d spokesperson Mallory McManus said. Ropolio, standing outside the food bank just a short walk from the governor's mansion in Florida's capital, said she didn't understand why the state passed up federal money that could have made a difference to her family. \u201cIf other states are able to do it, why can\u2019t we?\u201d she asked. "That doesn't make sense." Service providers have applauded the work of a state-administered summer meal program that operates out of schools, public libraries and community centers. But such programs only reach a fraction of the children who are eligible. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge gap that we\u2019re not meeting,\u201d said Paco V\u00e9lez, the president of the food bank Feeding South Florida. \u201cThe easiest way to meet that gap is to fill the EBT card with dollars.\u201d A recent report by the United Way found that nearly half of Florida families are struggling to make ends meet. Food bank operators say that although demand has stabilized since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need still exceeds pre-pandemic levels, as families grapple with inflation. Advocates are urging state officials to apply to participate in the program next summer. States face an initial deadline of Aug. 15 to notify the federal government of their intent to participate, with a subsequent deadline of Feb. 15. In the meantime, Santiago said she\u2019s trying to take her kids to a summer meal program at the local library when she can and stretching what she has left in the pantry each month. \u201cI have to try to find a way with my kids,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cI\u2019m trying my best. But \u2026 it\u2019s still not enough.\u201d ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press\/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The America Project\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-04T15:00:09+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-05T14:39:09+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1244106399.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"915\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"610\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Matt Bennett\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Matt Bennett\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Matt Bennett\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/#\/schema\/person\/363f680ae6fb9142ec22e8a5752492ba\"},\"headline\":\"Families struggle to eat in Republican-led states that denied federal aid\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-04T15:00:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-05T14:39:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/\"},\"wordCount\":896,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1244106399.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Politics\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Elections\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/\",\"name\":\"Families struggle to eat in Republican-led states that denied federal aid - 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It was the bags of ripe peaches that did her in. \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything in our fridge,\u201d Ripolio said. Ripolio and her 8-year-old daughter, Isabella, walked away with paper bags filled with those peaches, other produce, bread and canned goods\u2014grateful for the help she said they desperately need. Millions of American children are going without extra food this summer, after 13 states declined to participate in a federal program that helps families in need buy groceries. Thirty-seven states, four U.S. territories and five Native American tribes are benefitting from the program, according to the Department of Agriculture. Qualifying families with children who rely on school meals to get enough to eat are getting an extra $120 per child this summer to help feed their kids. Ripolio, who has two school-aged daughters, could have received an extra $240 deposited directly onto an electronic benefits transfer or EBT card, but Republican-led Florida isn't taking part. She said she has been helping Isabella deal with some challenging medical issues lately and hasn\u2019t been able to work. The extra money would have really helped by allowing her to buy more basics such as bread, milk and cereal, Ripolio said. \u201cAre you kidding? I\u2019ve been holding onto $17 for three months,\u201d she said, referring to her dwindling finances. The federal program known as Summer EBT or SUN Bucks gives money to qualifying families who can then use it to shop at grocery stores and farmers markets. The initiative is designed to help feed children who receive free or reduced-priced meals at school, but who often go hungry during the summer. According to an analysis by the advocacy group Food Research and Action Center, for every 100 children who received a free or reduced-price meal during the 2021-2022 school year, only 11 got a summer lunch in July 2022. Layla Santiago, a single mom from Jacksonville, said she\u2019s been piling her five kids\u2014all between the ages of 2 months and 10 years\u2014into an Uber to get to local food pantries this summer, because she lacks consistent access to transportation. \u201cI know there\u2019s other mothers like me that don\u2019t have transportation, that may need the food but just can\u2019t get to it,\u201d Santiago said. The states that declined to participate in the program cited reasons such as problems with aging state computer systems, philosophical opposition to welfare programs, and a belief that existing free meal programs are sufficient. All 13 are led by Republican governors. Under the terms of the Summer EBT program, the federal government covers the cost of the benefits for families, but states must split the administrative costs 50\/50. An estimated 2 million Florida children could have benefited from more than $258 million in aid this summer if state officials hadn\u2019t turned it down. Nationwide, roughly 21 million kids are being fed by the program this year. Asked whether the state would participate next summer, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis directed inquiries to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which did not respond. A spokesperson for the DCF previously told the Orlando Sentinel that the state\u2019s current programs are sufficient. \u201cWe anticipate that our state\u2019s full approach to serving children will continue to be successful this year without any additional federal programs that inherently always come with some federal strings attached,\u201d spokesperson Mallory McManus said. Ropolio, standing outside the food bank just a short walk from the governor's mansion in Florida's capital, said she didn't understand why the state passed up federal money that could have made a difference to her family. \u201cIf other states are able to do it, why can\u2019t we?\u201d she asked. \"That doesn't make sense.\" Service providers have applauded the work of a state-administered summer meal program that operates out of schools, public libraries and community centers. But such programs only reach a fraction of the children who are eligible. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge gap that we\u2019re not meeting,\u201d said Paco V\u00e9lez, the president of the food bank Feeding South Florida. \u201cThe easiest way to meet that gap is to fill the EBT card with dollars.\u201d A recent report by the United Way found that nearly half of Florida families are struggling to make ends meet. Food bank operators say that although demand has stabilized since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need still exceeds pre-pandemic levels, as families grapple with inflation. Advocates are urging state officials to apply to participate in the program next summer. States face an initial deadline of Aug. 15 to notify the federal government of their intent to participate, with a subsequent deadline of Feb. 15. In the meantime, Santiago said she\u2019s trying to take her kids to a summer meal program at the local library when she can and stretching what she has left in the pantry each month. \u201cI have to try to find a way with my kids,\u201d Santiago said. \u201cI\u2019m trying my best. But \u2026 it\u2019s still not enough.\u201d ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press\/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.","og_url":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/","og_site_name":"The America Project","article_published_time":"2024-08-04T15:00:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-05T14:39:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":915,"height":610,"url":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1244106399.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Matt Bennett","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Matt Bennett","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/"},"author":{"name":"Matt Bennett","@id":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/#\/schema\/person\/363f680ae6fb9142ec22e8a5752492ba"},"headline":"Families struggle to eat in Republican-led states that denied federal aid","datePublished":"2024-08-04T15:00:09+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-05T14:39:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/"},"wordCount":896,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1244106399.jpg","keywords":["Politics"],"articleSection":["Elections"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/","url":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/04\/families-struggle-to-eat-in-republican-led-states-that-denied-federal-aid\/","name":"Families struggle to eat in Republican-led states that denied federal aid - 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It was the bags of ripe peaches that did her in. \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything in our fridge,\u201d Ripolio said. Ripolio and her 8-year-old daughter, Isabella, walked away with paper bags filled with…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1000"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1041,"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000\/revisions\/1041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}