#supplemental nutrition assistance program
MEO Head Start preschool continues to accept children for 2025-26
Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start preschool program, which offers comprehensive early childhood education at no cost to income-qualifying families, continues to accept children for the 2025-2026 school year, which begins in August.
Working Families Caucus supports labor and workers’ rights in 2025 Legislative Package
Members of the Legislature’s Hawaiʻi Working Families Caucus on Monday were joined by community advocates to present their 2025 Legislative Package, which aims to protect workers’ rights and address priority issues for Hawaiʻi’s families.
Maui Food Bank and Mānoa partner on health food demonstrations at Da Market
The Maui Food Bank, in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiʻi Nutrition Center, offers healthy food demonstrations at Da Market in Lahaina by incorporating products that neighbors in the program can access at Da Market.
Head Start to begin accepting 2025-26 applications on Feb. 1
Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start preschool program, which offers comprehensive early childhood education at no cost to income-qualifying families, will begin accepting applications Feb. 1 for the 2025-2026 school year.
Schatz calls for increase in SNAP benefits in Hawai‘i to reflect food costs
Following calls for increased benefits for Hawai‘i families, US Sen. Brian Schatz today announced that the US Department of Agriculture has proposed updates to its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Hawai‘i to ensure they accurately reflect the cost of food across the state. The USDA has proposed a 2.3% increase in SNAP benefits for Hawai‘i, which would result in an estimated $40 monthly increase for a family of four.
‘DA BUX’ Double Up Food Bucks program gets $8.4M boost from USDA
The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island’s Food Bank, today announced it has been awarded more than $8.4 million from the US Department of Agriculture to support Hawai‘i’s “DA BUX” Double Up Food Bucks program.
Green will seek $45M in additional welfare relief for Hawaiʻi families
The changes mean that an extra 13,000 to 14,000 households will be eligible for an average of $3,200 a year in SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps.
State releases $500,000 for SNAP program recipients to purchase food grown in Hawaiʻi
The Hawaiʻi Food Basket estimates that every dollar spent in the DA BUX Double-Up program contributes $2.10 to the local economy.
SNAP food replacement in wildfire-hit Maui announced
The US Department of Agriculture announced that households impacted by wildfires in Hawaiʻi could be eligible for replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits. This step was taken to ensure those in need who were impacted by the Hawaiʻi wildfires have food to eat.
Maui Nui Food Alliance Food Security Survey Offers Participants $20 Gift of Local Food
Food insecurity is when a household is worried about running out of food or money to buy food each month. The first 350 participants who complete the MNFA Food Security Survey will receive a $20 gift of local food from Maui Hub or Sustʻāinable Molokai’s Mobile Market.
Gov. Green declares 6th Emergency Relief Period for food insecurity
Governor Josh Green, M.D. signed a sixth emergency proclamation to extend federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program emergency allotment benefits, in keeping with ongoing federal COVID relief efforts.
Fourth emergency relief period declared to address food insecurity
“Food insecurity is just one of the lingering effects of the pandemic, and SNAP benefits provide Hawaiʻi families with nutritious food,” said Gov. Ige.
Emergency relief period continues to address food insecurity in Hawaiʻi
Governor David Ige signed a third emergency proclamation to allow the continuation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in line with the federal COVID emergency.
Families eligible for free and reduced-price school meals encouraged to apply
“Our free summer meal program underway should provide families some time to transition back to normal school food services, and we strongly encourage those eligible for free and reduced-price meals to apply as soon as applications become available,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said.
2,000 Pounds of Food Distributed on Moloka‘i
More than 2,000 pounds of food was distributed on Molokaʻi on Thursday, Sept. 16, outside Maui Economic Opportunity offices in Kaunakakai.
Sustainability Bills Signed into Law
Governor David Ige on Friday signed seven sustainability bills into law during a ceremony at Washington Place to support local food production, protect people and businesses from rising sea levels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prioritize the creation of green jobs.
Volunteers Sought for Food Distribution on Molokaʻi
Maui Economic Opportunity on Molokaʻi is looking for three or four individuals to handle boxes of food during the monthly federal food surplus and kupuna distributions.
UH Study Finds 48 Percent of Hawaiʻi Families with Children Report Food Insecurity
A team of researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Social Sciences led a study on food insecurity for Hawaiʻi families with children. The report showed that 48% of families with children in the state are experiencing food insecurity, with 76% of families reporting that they had lost employment income due to COVID-19.
Thousands in Hawai‘i Expected To Benefit From Emergency Food Stamps, Pandemic School Meal Program
The order also includes a 15 percent increase in benefits for families of the more than 93,500 Hawai‘i students who qualify for free or reduced-priced school meals and are currently receiving Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits
State Warns of Text Scam Targeting SNAP Recipients
The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services is warning Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and the general public, after receiving a report from the US Department of Agriculture of possible SNAP Fraud attempts.
