The Summer Family Nutrition Program (SFNP) provides free Family Food Boxes to families with children during the summer. The program's goal is to alleviate hunger and obesity in children in low-income families when National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program meals are not available in the summer. SFNP ensures children have the nutrition they need so they are ready to learn when school starts in the fall, and families have the resources and nutrition education they need to provide their children with healthy, nutritious food.
To qualify for this program you MUST:
1. Have related children under age 18 in your household,
AND
2. Meet income guidelines (in the second column below) for the household OR have a household member participating in one of the programs listed in the third column below:
| Household Size | Monthly Gross Income (Income before taxes are taken out) |
|
| 2 | $2,246 | SNAP (food stamps) |
| 3 | $2,823 | Free or Reduced-Price School Meals |
| 4 | $3,399 | Welfare/Cash Assistance |
| 5 | $3,976 | Long-Term Care |
| 6 | $4,553 | WIC (Women Infant and Children Program) |
| 7 | $5,129 | Women's Health Program |
| 8 | $5,706 | Medicaid/CHIP |
| For each additional person over 8 people in household, add: | $577 |
3. Allow the Capital Area Food Bank to use a computerized record-keeping system to record your participation in the program.
Q: Are these food boxes pre-packed?
A: Yes. The boxes are 25 pounds each. A family will receive 50 pounds per-month (two boxes)
Q: Does family size make a difference in the size of the food box?
A: No. A qualifying family will receive set poundage. CAFB has designated 50 pounds as the monthly benefit.
Q: Can a family receive the Family Food Box and still receive food at other pantries?
A: Yes. If the family still has a need, encourage them to seek assistance. Food pantries exist to help families, not hinder. They just cannot receive the SFNP Family Food Boxes more than once a month. Outside of the program, they may still seek additional assistance if they have a need.
Q: Is there perishable food in the boxes?
A: No. There is a healthy mix of canned fruit, vegetables, protein and other staples.
Q: I couldn't participate in the June distribution, can I still participate?
A: Yes. Our goal is to reach as many families as possible, even if they come in to the program late and do not receive all four months of benefits.
Q: Are grandparents eligible if they are responsible for the children?
A: Yes; any related adult that has legal responsibility for the children in the household may serve as a household representative.
Q: Are foster parents eligible for this program?
A: No; foster parents are not related adults.
Q: Are homeless families eligible for this program?
A: Yes, if they have a child and meet the income test. If they do not have a fixed address, Agencies may use the address or zip code where they are currently staying as a database identifier and/or to send them to the closest distribution. If they are living outside / out of a car, they should be advised that this program provides unprepared food.
Q: Does citizenship status affect eligibility?
A: Citizenship status is not a factor in eligibility.
Q: What constitutes a “family”? What if more than one family lives at the same address?
A: Multiple families can live at the same address. For example, if a mother had a 12-yr-old child and a 20-yr old child living in her home, and the 20-yr-old had a baby, both the mother and the 20-yr old would be eligible for the program as separate “families.”
Q: How old is an eligible “child”?
A: A child must be under eighteen, i.e. 0-17 years old on the date of benefit distribution. On his/her eighteenth birthday, a child is no longer eligible for the program.
Q: Must the same family representative fill out the prescreening form and receive the benefit? What about proxies?
A: The adult representative who fills out the prescreening form does not need to be the same adult representative who signs a self-declaration of eligibility on the distribution day. Proxies are also allowable – the Food Bank or Partner Agency must show proof (such as a signature) that someone picked up the benefit on behalf of an eligible family.
Q: I have a very large family. Can I receive more food than what's in the Family Food Boxes?
A: Unfortunately, every benefit provided in a given month must weigh the same amount regardless of family size. Ask the agency you are visiting about additional resources for food.
Q: I wasn't able to pick up my Family Food Box. Can I get extra box the next month?
A: All families will receive the same benefit in a given month, and no family may receive more than 50 lbs of food in a single month.
