# US SUN Bucks summer nutrition program implementation

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-sun-bucks-summer-nutrition-program-implementation
> Updated: 2026-08-20T21:54:33.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

The SUN Bucks summer nutrition program provides grocery benefits to eligible children to combat food insecurity during school breaks. 

In North Carolina, the Department of Health and Human Services noted that families could apply for the $120 per child benefit until August 15. Additionally, local organizations in Charlotte scheduled free food distribution events to assist with food insecurity in Mecklenburg County.

By late August, the program was active in other states such as Virginia and California. In Virginia, officials reported that over 628,000 children had received benefits, with an application deadline of August 31. In California, the program distributed $120 per child in monthly installments via S-EBT cards, with eligibility tied to programs like CalFresh or Medi-Cal.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-20: SUN Bucks summer nutrition program provides grocery benefits to children

The SUN Bucks summer nutrition program provides $120 in grocery benefits to eligible children in states like Virginia and California to combat food insecurity during summer breaks.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sun-bucks-summer-nutrition-program-provides-grocery-benefits-to-children

### 2026-07-31: North Carolina families can still apply for SUN Bucks summer food benefit

North Carolina families have until Aug 15 to apply for SUN Bucks $120 per child summer aid; Charlotte hosts a free food giveaway on Aug 3 at McCrorey YMCA, run by Nourish Up and Second Harvest Food Bank.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/north-carolina-families-can-still-apply-for-sun-bucks-summer-food-benefit

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Cite as: US SUN Bucks summer nutrition program implementation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-sun-bucks-summer-nutrition-program-implementation