Good News For Low-Income Students In California As They Will Soon Get $365 Debit Card To Purchase Food

Debit Card comes to the rescue in this pandemic. On one side, COVID-19 is flattening the curve of growth across the world. On the other side, governments of different countries are trying their best to protect their citizens. Well, this is quite evident in the words of London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco.

Mayor London Breed announced on 13^th May 2020 that students of San Francisco who would receive reduced-price or free school meals can expect a $365 debit card through which they can make transactions for buying food items. They can also make online payment with this card. The details of such types of debit cards will soon arrive in the mail.

In addition to this. She said that families of these students who are getting benefits from Medi-Cal, Foster care Benefits and CalFresh need not apply for the money.

Immigration status will not be checked in this regard. Therefore, it can be said that these benefits are available to all the eligible California children. Well, this point is also evident in the words of Breed. The whole thing is being administrated through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program.

This new assistance in the form of debit cards has arrived at a time when Food Banks are experiencing an increase in residents in need of food.

Each family will get a card worth $365 for the eligible child. The best part is that this particular card will not replace any CalFresh card or any emergency school meal program such as San Francisco Unified School District’s free meal program. Under this program, free meals are served at the 24 locations throughout the city.

Families of eligible children can expect debit cards to arrive by the end of this week. Families who do not receive assistance in the mail should apply by June 30. On the other side, families who receive reduced or free meals but are not getting public assistance can fill a short application that will open on 22^nd May.

Breed said in a statement. “Many San Francisco students depend on the meals they get at school for their nutrition. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve had to find other ways to make sure children and youth in our city… have enough to eat”.

According to the Mayor’s office, approximately 35,000 children which is equal to half of the school district’s population qualify for free and reduced-price school meals.