by Aily Tran, SNAP Outreach Coordinator
As summer approaches, households with school-age children can find themselves in a tough position. Without school to supplement some of their kids’ nutrition needs throughout the day, grocery budgets get stretched and what a family can afford may be limited. There are much publicized options like free Summer Meals sites or the developing Summer EBT program. The gap can also be eased with grocery assistance programs like SNAP and DUO, year-round programs available to households with and without children.
SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the nation’s largest hunger-fighting program. Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP is now distributed to qualifying households via an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card that recharges monthly for as long as the household is eligible and spends just like a debit card, reducing the stigma of SNAP use. SNAP supplements a household’s existing grocery budget, expanding not only the amount but also the quality of food that households can afford, thus improving health outcomes and putting more money into the local economy, creating a better community for everyone.
DUO, or Double Up Oklahoma, is a program that works in combination with SNAP to expand households’ grocery budgets. When shopping at DUO-qualified grocery stores and farmers markets up to $20 daily, with DUO bucks or tokens, can be spent on fresh fruits and vegetables. Again, this expands not only the quantity of produce that households can afford but also the quality and variety. Further, DUO bucks can be saved for up to 60 days so that households can use them at their convenience for different recipes and meal planning. To find DUO vendors in your area, visit the DUO website.
If you, your organization, or your community want to be involved in outreach for grocery assistance, HFO offers many easy ways that you can take action today!
First, one of our most accessible and easy-to-share resources is the Oklahoma SNAP Application Assistance Hotline (877-760-0114). A collaboration of HFO and Oklahoma Human Services, the OK SNAP Hotline is toll-free statewide, open Monday through Saturday, provides assistance in English, Spanish, and Zomi, and can handle both new and renewal applications.
For people who may not be comfortable calling into a hotline or who may want to be contacted back later, HFO also offers callback forms in English and Spanish. On these forms, applicants can provide their contact information and best times to contact them. Our SNAP specialists will then call to complete the application by phone.
To share information about all the above programs, please visit HFO’s online storefront, where we have an array of outreach materials on all our programs. You can shop by program, audience, language, and format! All materials on this site are entirely free to order, including shipping or delivery.
Would you like to directly help people submit their SNAP applications?
HFO has a self-led online training that can be taken in parts or in one sitting, where you learn how to submit SNAP applications from an online system managed by Oklahoma Human Services. To learn more about our training, please reach out to an HFO Hunger Outreach team member or submit an interest form here.
Finally, if you have events where you would like SNAP specialists present to discuss SNAP, DUO, and even provide in-person application assistance, please submit an interest form for HFO to connect you to our partners at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Department of Health, and the OK SNAP Hotline.
Other Resources
If SNAP and DUO aren’t good fits for your community, WIC and FDPIR can help fill the gap. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) helps pregnant, post-partum, and pregnant people and children under the age of 5 access nutritious foods during a critical time of development and healing. Learn more and connect to a program here. Households can receive SNAP and WIC benefits at the same time.
FDPIR is an option for income-eligible Native American households residing is designated areas near reservations or in Oklahoma. Learn more and connect to a specific program at FNS Contacts | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov). Households cannot receive SNAP and FDPIR benefits at the same time.
HFO appreciates all levels and forms of collaboration. Whatever works for you is valued by us. We encourage you to use any of the resources above to connect with HFO and help households and kids stay fed this summer!
School may be out for summer, but a family’s grocery budget should work all year long. With your help, summer nutrition can be a SNAP for more households and kids. Reach out to HFO today to get started!