Author: Michael Hetrick

Additional benefits available again for families due to pandemic

Child

Last year, the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Texas Education Agency made additional benefits available to families through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. P-EBT provides food benefits for families with children who temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price meals at school during the COVID-19 pandemic. This one-time benefit is being offered again to families starting June 2nd.

Who is eligible?

Families with children who meet one of the following criteria:

  • Up to 21 years old and certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at a school in Texas during the 2020-2021 school year.
  • Up to 21 years old and attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 (P2) school that offers free meals to all students.
  • Born after August 1, 2014, in families who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between October 2020 and June 2021.

What can families buy with P-EBT funds?

Household food items, such as fruits, meats/poultry/fish, dairy and breads. P-EBT benefits can be used wherever SNAP food benefits are accepted.

Do I need to apply for these P-EBT benefits?

Families receiving SNAP benefits prior to May 2021 DO NOT need to apply to receive the P-EBT benefits. They will automatically be loaded onto these families’ Lone Star Cards from May 25th to May 29th. A notice will be mailed after their benefits have been loaded.

Families receiving SNAP benefits for the first time in May 2021 or June 2021, or eligible families not receiving SNAP benefits will need to apply for P-EBT benefits. A P-EBT card will be mailed after applying.

Where can I get additional information about the P-EBT program or apply?

Click here to download a flyer about the P-EBT program or visit the Texas HHSC website. You can apply online or you can reach the P-EBT call center at 833-442-1255.

**Applications must be submitted no later than August 13, 2021**

10 Ways to Eat Whole Grains


Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Grains are divided into two subgroups, whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel—the bran, germ and endosperm. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy eating style have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Here are 10 healthy tips to eat whole grains.

  1. Make Simple Shifts- To make half your grains whole grains, choose 100% whole-wheat bread, bagels, pasta or tortillas; brown rice; oatmeal; or grits.
  2. Whole Grains Can Be Healthy Snacks- Popcorn is a whole grain. Make it with little or no added salt or butter. Also, try 100% whole-wheat or rye crackers.
  3. Save Some Time- Cook extra brown rice or oatmeal when you have time. Refrigerate half of what you cook to heat and serve later in the week.
  4. Mix It Up with Whole Grains- Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley in vegetable soups or stews and bulgur wheat in casseroles or stir-fries. Try a quinoa salad or pilaf.
  5. Try Whole-Wheat Versions- Change up your favorite meal with whole grains. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes and whole-wheat noodles in lasagna.
  6. Bake Up Some Whole Grain Goodness– Experiment by substituting buckwheat, millet or oat flour for up to half of the flour in your favorite pancake or waffle recipes. To limit saturated fat and added sugars, top with fruit instead of butter and syrup.
  7. Be a Good Role Model for Children- Set a good example for children by serving and eating whole grains every day with meals or as snacks.
  8. Check the Label– Most refined grains are enriched. This means that certain B vitamins and iron are added back after processing. Check the ingredients list to make sure the word “enriched” is included in the grain name.
  9. Know What to Look for on the Ingredients List– Read the ingredients list and choose products that name a whole-grain ingredient first on the list. Look for “whole wheat,” “brown rice,” “bulgur,” “buckwheat,” “oatmeal,” “whole-grain cornmeal,” “whole oats,” or “whole rye.”
  10. Be a Smart Shopper- The color of a food is not an indication that it is a whole-grain food. Foods labeled as “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not 100% whole-grain products, and may not contain any whole grain.

For more healthy tips, follow us on Facebook. For healthy recipes, click here.

The tips featured in this blog post were developed by the USDA. For more information, visit myplate.org.

“Your help is a real blessing!”

My name is Bobby, and I want to thank you for thinking about me. It’s a scary time right now. You get to be my age and you’re dealing with a lot of health problems. Diabetes, heart trouble. The shape I’m in, I don’t dare leave the house.

I found out about the East Texas Food Bank on TV. Living on a fixed income like I do, it was tough having to pay people to help me get food. So I gave you all a call, and you’ve just been a real blessing in my life ever since!

You brought all sorts of groceries right to my doorstep. Peanut butter, milk, fresh produce—I’m so grateful to get so much good stuff for free. My grandson and his mom live with me, too, and they love the food we cook together.

I just want to say thank you again for remembering me. You’ve lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders, so I can stay home and stay healthy. I sit out on the porch and get some fresh air every day. I breathe easy because of you.

Because of your support, we were able to deliver food directly to local seniors when we were at the peak of the pandemic.

You can help our East Texas neighbors like Bobby by making an online gift, volunteering or holding a virtual food drive for your business or organization.

Bell Elementary makes surprise gift during East Texas Giving Day

ETGD_Bell Elementary

During East Texas Giving Day in April, a record 2.8 million dollars was raised for nonprofit organizations in East Texas. Thanks to our generous donors and matching funds, the East Texas Food Bank was able to raise a remarkable $63,366 dollars to help with our mission of fighting hunger and feeding hope. Those funds  will help provide over 50,000 meals to the families we help.

One gift, however, came as an unexpected surprise.

Bell Elementary Principal Tamara Johnson gave us a call to say the school wanted to donate to the East Texas Food Bank for East Texas Giving Day. Bell Elementary is in Tyler Independent School District.

“Every year before COVID, our campus would host a Jingle Bell Run to raise money to benefit a student who may have been in a health crisis,” Johnson said. “Because of COVID this year, we were not able to go through the process like we normally would for one of our students.”

It was decided the funds would go to the food bank instead.

“The food bank feeds over 100 students here each Friday through the BackPack Program,” Johnson said. “We thought this would still benefit our students and our community with the donation.”

The BackPack Program was created to fill the meal gap on the weekends and extended breaks for students that rely on free and reduced meal programs through school. Staff and faculty members at school campuses, such as Bell, choose which children join the program, based on an assessment of need. On Fridays, participating children each receive a backpack filled with nutritious, kid-friendly items such as fruit, juice, cereal bars and shelf-stable milk to help last them until Monday morning, when school meal programs resume.

The Bell donation to the food bank totaled $10,375.86.

“We were absolutely thrilled to give to the food bank,” Johnson said. “We see your efforts in the community and we wanted to have a greater impact.”

“This gift from Bell Elementary will ensure that the children, families and seniors we serve have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive,” said East Texas Food Bank CEO Dennis Cullinane. “We are so grateful to the staff, students and parents for thinking of us during this day of community giving.”

College students may be eligible for SNAP benefits under temporary program

College students are not exempt from facing hunger. In fact, 39% of students at two-year institutions and 29% at four-year institutions were reported as not having proper access to food in a recent study by The Hope Center. According to Every Texan, “71% of undergraduate college students are single parents, come from low-income families, or work at least half-time, making this the first time in history that lower-income students are enrolling in college at higher rates than their middle-income classmates.”

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides a defensive to help combat hunger. However, most full-time students are not eligible to receive benefits. Of those eligible, only 4 out of 10 are enrolled.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress made temporary adjustments to SNAP to remove restrictions and allow more students to qualify for benefits. Eligibility is determined by the following:

  • Student must be enrolled at least half-time in a higher education institution (college, university or trade/technical school).
  • Student must participate in state or federally funded work-study during the school year OR
  • Student has an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 0 in the current academic year
    (Any student who receives the maximum Pell Grant has an EFC of 0).

Documentation such as a financial aid award letter, letter from school, Student Aid Report (SAR) or unemployment documentation may need to be provided to verify benefit eligibility. The new, temporary exemptions will be in effect until 30 days after the federal government lifts the official designation of the nationwide COVID-19 public health emergency.

Our Benefits Assistance Team at the East Texas Food Bank can help you or someone you know determine qualification for these important benefits. Click here to fill out a Benefits Assistance Request and a representative will follow up with you.