By Dana Lance, Media Relations Specialist
Chickasaw Nation Media Relations Office

The Chickasaw Nation has partnered with several public school districts to offer an innovative summer foods program designed to provide nutritious foods to children during the summer months.

The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program is designed to give low-income families with school-age children easy access to healthy foods during the summer.

Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said this program fills a vital need for hundreds of children.

“Proper nutrition is essential for the mental and physical development of our children in the summer months just as it is during the school year,” said Gov. Anoatubby.  “We are pleased to work with our local schools to offer an innovative new way for children to get the healthy food they need all year.”

The program is a joint effort between Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services and 41 Oklahoma public school districts in Coal, Carter, Garvin, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Johnston and Pontotoc counties.

Families selected to participate will receive a card, similar to a debit card, which they can use in stores to buy healthy food.

The food benefit will be valued at $60 per child per month during the summertime.

“It’s a prescription for healthy food,” said Debbie Zachary, tribal nutrition services Summer EBT for Children program manager. 

Approximately 3,300 families will be chosen through a lottery- a random selection process which provides an equal chance for every family to receive Summer EBT for Children benefits. 

This is the first time the Chickasaw Nation have received this grant, which is funded by the USDA.  The grant is a part an effort to increase access to nutritious meals and snacks during school gap periods. Improving child nutrition is a focal point of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that recently passed Congress and was signed by President Obama on December 13, 2010.

For more information about Summer EBT for Children program, contact Debbie Zachary at 580-235-6076 or debbie.zachary@chickasaw.net.