INDIANA NEWS SERVICE - Indiana families are navigating the summer without SUN Bucks, a federal grocery benefit which delivered $120 per child last summer.
Gov. Mike Braun's administration chose not to participate in 2025, citing prior planning gaps.
Mark Lynch, director of advocacy for the Indy Hunger Network, said the funding blackout hit the state hard.
"We really are feeling and seeing the impacts of not having the SUN
Bucks program this year," Lynch emphasized. "That $120 per summer for
those students that they had last year have created some longer lines at
our food pantries."
State leaders said administrative hurdles kept Indiana out of the
program. Supporters argued skipping SUN Bucks puts pressure on food
banks and leaves low-income families with fewer options.
Lynch noted to help bridge the gap, Indiana expanded its summer meal
sites to include prepackaged meals, which do not require daily pickups.
"But there's school starting soon and they're giving their workers some
time off for the summer, so that might be ending in the next week or
two," Lynch explained. "That's just an example and that happens around
the state in rural, suburban, and in city communities."
The Indy Hunger Network and other partners continue to support Hoosiers through tools like the Community Compass app, which shows nearby meal sites and grocery assistance programs.
Joe Ulery wrote this article.
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