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USDA announced that low-income California residents recovering from severe storms and power outages beginning Jan. 21, 2024, could be eligible for a helping hand from the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

To further address food insecurity in American Samoa and provide more equitable resources for island communities, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will provide a higher benefit to American Samoa families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer. 

To further address food insecurity in Hawaii and provide more equitable resources for island communities, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will provide a higher benefit to Hawaii families, as compared to the U.S. mainland, through the new, permanent summer nutrition program for children – known as Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (has approved the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development’s request to create a demonstration project, Alaska Meals to You, to reduce food insecurity in rural Alaska. 

The Western Regional Office of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service awarded the County of Monterey Department of Social Services in California $858,348  to enhance efficiency and access in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

Washington will receive $7.6 million to test out a new model for incentivizing fruit and vegetable purchases among participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

The USDA announced that low-income residents of Guam recovering from Super Typhoon Mawar beginning May 22, 2023, could be eligible for a helping hand from the USDA’s D-SNAP.

USDA FNS has approved the Washington Department of Social and Health Services’ request to expand their Tribal Eligibility Demonstration Project to five additional tribal nations.

USDA announced that low-income California residents in seven counties (Kern, Mariposa, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Tulare, and Tuolumne) recovering from the impact of severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that began on Feb. 21, 2023, could be eligible for USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

FNS is increasing the reimbursement rates that child nutrition program operators receive for meals served in Guam from 17% to 30% above the contiguous United States rates. In recognition of the higher food costs in these locations, the increased reimbursement rates will begin on July 1 to help ensure Guam schools have access to the resources needed to continue serving children nutritious, high-quality food while also building a stronger, more competitive, and more resilient local food system.

FNS is increasing the reimbursement rates that child nutrition program operators receive for meals served in Hawaii from 17% to 30% above the contiguous United States rates. In recognition of the higher food costs in these locations, the increased reimbursement rates will begin on July 1 to help ensure Hawaii schools have access to the resources needed to continue serving children nutritious, high-quality food while also building a stronger, more competitive, and more resilient local food system.

USDA announced that low-income California residents recovering from severe storms that began on Dec. 27, 2022, which caused flooding, landslides, and mudslides, could be eligible for a helping hand from the USDA’s D-SNAP. 

The USDA FNS Western Regional Office announced Oregon is one of fourteen states that have been selected to participate in the expansion of a demonstration project to evaluate the impact of using Medicaid eligibility data to directly certify students from low-income households to receive free and reduced-price school meals.