In Mississippi, Summer Can Increase Risk of Hunger for 3 in 4 Kids Who Rely on In-School Meals

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declined to participate in the SUN Bucks program, which provides $120 per child for summer groceries, rejecting $38 million in federal funding. This decision leaves 320,000 children without summer meal support, as only 1 in 4 accessed in-person meal sites in 2023, exacerbating hunger risks for three-quarters of students reliant on school meals.