Every NYC Public School Student will receive $420 in Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Funds
Families that are not currently enrolled in SNAP or Medicaid should expect to receive their cards in the mail in July or August.
What is Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)? The federal government is providing school districts universal lunch programs with Pandemic EBT cards to make up for the meals that students are not getting at schools. In NYC, every single public school student will receive $420, by post mail in the form of a card. This means that if you have two children, for example, you will receive $840 in P-EBT funds. Read all the details here.
Families that are not currently enrolled in SNAP or Medicaid should expect to receive their cards in the mail in July or August.
What if I want to donate my EBT Cards?
Every public school student in NYC will be receiving EBT cards in the mail worth $420 per student. Many families have reached out asking how they can donate the cards. These cards are non-transferable and families are encouraged to spend them to support the local economy. While the cards are non-transferable, families who are not facing financial hardship may choose to make a donation to the many organizations that are helping those experiencing hunger and hardship during this very challenging time.
Please find links below to find out where you can make a much needed donation to our community and beyond. Families may also opt to make a donation to an organization or PTA of their own choosing.
PS 29’s PTA was unable to raise about $200 K during the spring due to school closures and is beginning the fundraising to cover the $300K the PTA voted in June to maintain vital arts and math staff positions. If you are interested in donating to the PS 29 PTA, please click here.
Whatever families decide, PLEASE make sure it gets used and not left unopened on your mail stack.
How To Help Our Community by Donating your P-EBT Benefits
Council Member Brad Lander has set up a form for families who are interested in donating their benefits.
Everyaction has a list of resources for where to donate here.
The Center for Family Life in Sunset Park The CFL in Sunset Park has been a life line for the Sunset Park residents that have been amongst the hardest hit during this Covid-19 crisis. CFL provides many essential services including a food pantry that is currently very short on resources. From their website: "As many as 24% of Sunset Park residents work in one of the four industries where layoffs have been most prevalent during COVID-19 – restaurants, hotels, retail, and personal care services. This is the fifth-highest rate among all NYC neighborhoods. As families in our Sunset Park community are reeling from the staggering increase in job and income loss, CFL is prepared to support them throughout this process, as we expect that community needs will remain heightened for months, if not years, to come." To make a donation and learn more. Red Hook Initiative As we head into the fourth month of NYC’s struggle at the epicenter of the global pandemic, the city-wide and national statistics confirm that Red Hook’s Black and Latinx low-income community will endure disproportionately high exposure risk, hardship, and death from COVID-19. RHI exists in order to confront the systemic inequities that have persisted in our community for decades. At this time RHI is carrying out this focused COVID-19 rapid response work, and we invite you to learn more and get involved. City Harvest City Harvest is committed to rescuing and delivering food for the 2.5 million New Yorkers who were depending on us before the COVID-19 crisis, and the thousands more who need us now, as the devastating economic impact of this pandemic becomes a reality. Catholic Charities of New York Through their downtown Brooklyn pantry, the CCNY has been a great support for our neediest families. Their mission reads "to create hope for the hungry, the homeless, the challenged, the refugee, the family and the child." You can make a donation here.