During our June 12 General Membership Meeting, we shared upcoming opportunities and trainings at the Coalition, heard from DSHS about Washington state’s summer EBT program for K-12 students (SUN Bucks), talked to the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition about the recent state legislative session and federal threats to SNAP, met the Coalition’s Board of Directors new members, and shared ways our community is celebrating Juneteenth and Pride this month.
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Upcoming at the Coalition
Support for K-12 students experiencing homelessness
For more than 33 years, the Coalition on Homelessness has helped students and families prepare for the start of a new school year with new backpacks, school supplies, books, and dental hygiene supplies. This effort, our Project Cool for Back-to-School, will support 1,800 students in 2025.
We are currently looking for volunteers to help us stuff and distribute backpacks in July. We would love to have you join us! All volunteer days are hosted at the Bryn Mawr Methodist Church (8016 S 116th St, Seattle, WA 98178):
- Tuesday, July 22 – site set up, supply staging – age 16+
- Wednesday, July 23 – backpack stuffing – all ages welcome
- Thursday, July 24 – backpack stuffing – all ages welcome
- Saturday, July 26 – backpack stuffing – all ages welcome
- Tuesday, July 29 – backpack distribution – age 16+
- Wednesday, July 30 – backpack distribution, site cleanup, inventory – age 16+
Sign up for a volunteer shift here and email projectcool[at]homelessinfo[.]org if you have any questions.
The Coalition supports K-12 students experiencing homelessness year-round by providing a training on the educational rights of students in public schools as defined in the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act. This training is for any case manager or provider working with students and families experiencing homelessness. The training will cover:
- How the U.S. Department of Education defines homelessness
- What it means for a student experiencing homelessness to attend their ‘school of origin’
- Details about the school district’s responsibility to provide transportation to students
Sign up for this year’s Helping Homeless Students: McKinney Vento 101 training on Thursday, August 21 from 9-11 a.m. over Zoom.
Please note that this training will take the place of our August General Membership Meeting. We will NOT host an August General Membership Meeting.
Voter Rights – Education and Registration
The Coalition knows the power of a vote. Each year, we bring nonpartisan voter education and registration to our community and help eligible voters reclaim their place in our democracy.
Our Voter Rights and Education Drive is powered by a team of trained volunteers. Together with Coalition staff, volunteers visit day centers, shelters, supportive housing sites, and resource fairs to inform people of their right to vote with a past felony conviction, how to vote without a traditional home address, and important election deadlines.
Interested volunteers must attend a training before joining this effort. There are two upcoming opportunities for this training, both held in person:
- Thurs, June 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Beacon Hill Library
- Tues, July 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Burien Library
After this training, volunteers can then be scheduled for Voting Rights & Education events from July through October. Volunteer opportunities occur seven days a week at various times of day to best meet your availability. For more information, email us at vote[at]homelessinfo[.]org.
Upcoming trainings at the Coalition
Our free, virtual training on the Age, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) & Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) benefit programs has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 10 from 9-11 a.m. over Zoom (previously scheduled on Wednesday, July 30).
Register for our ABD & HEN training here: Wednesday, September 10, 9-11 a.m., Zoom
All registrants will receive a copy of the presentation slides and a link to the recording after the event.
This training is brought in partnership with Solid Ground’s Benefits Legal Assistance team and the HEN program from Catholic Community Services of Western Washington.
SUN Bucks and summer food access with DSHS
SUN Bucks, now in its second year, is Washington state’s summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program for K-12 students. SUN Bucks will also come on an EBT card, but it’s a separate card from the regular SNAP EBT card.
The Washington Department of Social and Human Services (DSHS) estimates that 620,000 children are eligible for SUN Bucks in 2025.
The SUN Bucks benefit program allots an additional $120 to families per eligible child to spend on food during the summer months (June, July, and August).
Eligibility
In 2024, 99 percent of students who received SUN Bucks were automatically enrolled in the program.
There are two ways for students to be automatically eligible for the SUN Bucks program:
- “Streamline Certified” students are enrolled in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and are individually approved for free or reduced-price meals
- To be individually approved for free or reduced-price meals, families must annually submit a Child Nutrition Eligibility and Education Benefit (CNEEB) Application. Find that application by school district here: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/child-nutrition/school-meals/washington-school-meals-application-finder
- “Categorically eligible” students are ages 8 through 18 and receive either SNAP or a TANF benefits
IMPORTANT:
- Children who automatically receive free or reduced-price meals in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 schools won’t automatically qualify for SUN Bucks. These households need to follow the application process.
- FAP and SFA recipients were automatically approved in 2024 but will not automatically qualify for 2025. These families may need to apply.
If students are not automatically eligible, families can apply through DSHS to receive the SUN Bucks benefit here: https://sunbucks.dshs.wa.gov/en/
Families can also print an application and mail it to the DSHS Customer Service Center, P.O. Box 11669, Tacoma, WA 98411-6699. Application forms are available in multiple languages here: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/office-of-the-secretary/forms (search for SUN in the “Form Name” field).
To apply, families must be income eligible, which is 185% of the federal poverty level or less, and be enrolled in a school that participates in the NSLP or SBP.
How to Redeem SUN Bucks
SUN bucks can be utilized at any SNAP-participating retailer. Benefits expire four months (122 days) after issuance.
SUN Bucks, like SNAP, are distributed through a SUN Bucks specific EBT card (separate from the regular monthly EBT card).
Families who qualified for SUN bucks in 2024 and kept their card will have benefits reloaded to the same card.
Newly eligible children will have a card mailed directly to them.
If families lost their card from last year, they should request a replacement directly by calling the SUN Bucks Contact Center at 833-543-3230 or TTY: 1-800-833-6348. This Contact Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It should take about seven to 10 days to receive a new card in the mail.
IMPORTANT: The SUN Bucks Contact Center phone line is different than the DSHS Customer Service Contact Center.
Citizenship Requirements
Since SUN bucks follows the NSLP guidelines, there are no specific citizenship requirements. Households do NOT need to confirm their citizenship when submitting a SUN Bucks application. They just need to meet the income requirements and have a student enrolled in a participating school.
Text Message Alerts for Families
Families can sign up for text message updates connected directly to their SUN Bucks benefits here: https://textsunbucks.dshs.wa.gov/. This free, completely optional service can:
- Let families who used SUN Bucks in 2024 know if their students are eligible this year
- Provide information about benefit usage
- Connect families to the SUN Bucks Contact Center
- Remind families to use their benefits before they expire
Share SUN Bucks information with your clients
Flyers, posters, and more materials about SUN Bucks are available to print on the DSHS website here: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sunbucks. Scroll to the bottom of the page to the Quick Links section. There is a flyer available in Spanish as well.
Free yard signs and more SUN Bucks materials are available to order here: https://www.hungerfreewa.org/order-materials
Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition
Claire Lane from the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition talked to us about the status of funding for food access in Washington state and at the federal level.
At the state level
The final state budget included:
- $93.25 million in funding for the food banks through the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA)
- $27.964 million for Senior Nutrition Programs through DSHS
- $2.956 million for Fruit & Veg Incentive Programs (a.k.a. Fresh Bucks) through the Department of Health (DOH)
- $11.835 million for SUN Bucks through DSHS
At the federal level
In Congress, the House passed its budget proposal a few weeks ago. Now the Senate is considering that budget proposal, which cuts SNAP by $290 billion.
A big part of those cuts come from creating work requirements for SNAP, which would disenroll many people who aren’t able to demonstrate they meet those work requirements. This impacts homeless people, veterans, former foster youth, and people in areas with high unemployment. It also extends restrictions for people up to 65 years of age and imposes employment restrictions on parents with children over the age of seven.
The budget proposal also:
- Prohibits legally residing immigrants (except for Green Card holders)
- Prohibits increases to SNAP to simple annual inflation
Alarmingly, the proposal shifts significant SNAP costs from the federal government to state governments. It’s unclear if the state would be able to cover that cost or what else Washington state would have to cut to cover the cost:
- Increases state share of SNAP administration costs to 75 percent (from 50 percent)
- Makes states pay at least 5 percent of food benefit cost (and as much as 25 percent)
Take Action to Protect SNAP
Call our state senators, Sen. Murray and Sen. Cantwell, and share your stories about using SNAP. Explain how important this benefit is for the survival of our community. You can reach Cantwell and Murray’s offices by calling the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121.
The federal budget is not finalized. This is our moment to advocate.
You can also send a letter to protect SNAP through the Food Research & Action Center here: https://secure.everyaction.com/lmBv70YdQkCuGFcip4BvgA2
And share your stories using SNAP or Medicaid with the Northwest Health Law Advocates and the Community Health Plan of Washington by using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7XB4bImlOysbV6BxzZbtYTYMRNhbRwQVv2e2Qm5heCZAjGA/viewform
Welcome and hello to our new board members!
Thank you to the following new board members who joined our June meeting to introduce themselves:
- Abby Anderson
- Karissa Johnson
- Modou Nyang
- Scott Starr
- Diana Pearce
Happy Pride Month!
Download these awesome Pride coloring sheets from the Seattle Public Library: https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/social-justice/lgbtq
That’s all for June!
We hope you’ll join us for our July 17 General Membership Meeting from 9-10:30 a.m. over Zoom: https://homelessinfo.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/july-2025-gmm