NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee approved Summer EBT funding, but the program won't launch until 2027, leaving families to find other food resources this summer.
I reached out to the Senior Director of Nutrition Advocacy at the Tennessee Justice Center to find out more about summer meals and resources for families while school is out.
Hannah:
So, school is out for the summer, for just about every family, including your own. We are meeting here at an elementary school, where I know families are likely piecing together summer plans, and for many parents in our state, they're also putting together plans to make sure there is food in the fridge.
I've been hearing from people about their excitement that Tennessee, this spring, decided that it would in the future reconsider getting back into the Summer EBT game in the future, but it is not an option for families this year. Can you break this down?
Signe:
Unfortunately, legislators failed to address hunger this summer. Summer EBT will not be coming to Tennessee until 2027. So we're concerned about the immediate need.
When families are hungry, they're hungry now, and they can't wait a year for support. Unfortunately, they'll have to scrap together like they did last summer.
Hannah:
Signe Anderson, thank goodness for the Tennessee Justice Center and food banks that are aware families are having to do this on their own.
The statistic that always jumps out is that 1 in 5 people are experiencing hunger. The question people might have is: is that just in cities? Is that in my neighborhood? Where is that affecting kids?
Signe:
Hunger affects all of our kids in every single county in Tennessee. It could be your neighbors, people down the street—every single county is impacted. It's not just the poorer counties, neighborhoods. Parents sort of hide hunger out of shame. But it's something that is really important to address and understand—it might be your neighbor that's skipping meals.
Hannah:
Where should they turn first?
Signe:
They should look to see if there's a summer meal site near them, and we can provide information about how to locate those sites.
Hannah:
A lot of times school districts will help with that.
Signe:
Right. Exactly. A lot of times, your school will do a summer meal program and provide meals. Sometimes it's the YMCA. Sometimes it's the Boys and Girls Club. Sometimes food banks will have programs in addition to just providing food. So there are spots available. It's just not as widespread as Summer EBT.
Something else people might not be aware of is they could be eligible for SNAP. There are some rules around that program that allow working families to be eligible now when they weren't before. So that's something to consider. And reach out. We can help with programs that might be available to families.
Hannah:
We don't want to get people too down, because [approving Summer EBT funding] was a big step in the right direction this Spring. So Summer 2027, it could be available?
Signe:
So legislators provided funding for 2027. It's not permanent beyond 2027, so we'll fight to make sure it does become permanent because we think it's important to have that resource available to families, not just in 2027—it would be great if 2027 would go away in 2027, but we know the reality is this is a long-term challenge that we face with families across the state and we want Summer EBT to be there to support families beyond 2027.
Hannah:
Thanks for being with me today.
Signe:
Thanks for focusing on this issue. It's really important.
Where to find summer meals
Families looking for summer meal support in Tennessee can use several resources to find free food programs while school is out. The Tennessee Department of Human Services runs the Summer Nutrition Initiative. To enroll, as of May 31, 2025, the child must be included in a SNAP and/or Families First case and reside in Benton, Carroll, Carter, Cocke, Fayette, Grainger, Houston, Humphreys, Johnson, Lauderdale, Marshall, Moore, Rhea, Sequatchie, or Sumner Counties, which are known to have little to no Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal sites.
Through the Tennessee Justice Center or using the USDA Meal Site Finder, families can locate meal sites in their community. Local school districts are also a key resource, as many continue to provide free summer meals for children. Community organizations like the YMCA often offer meal sites as well, so kids have access to food while school is out.
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