Jasmine Samuel is a single mother of three boys in Jackson, Mississippi. During the school year, her sons get free meals at school. When summer comes, that lifeline disappears. She has counted her last dollars at the grocery register, put back items she could not afford, and found creative ways to keep her kids' minds off hunger. "It just takes a toll on you," she said.

Jasmine is not alone. Nearly three-quarters of Mississippi students rely on free or reduced-cost school meals for consistent nutrition. Every summer, most of them lose that safety net. On an average day in summer, only 1 in 4 Mississippi children who depend on school meals make it to a summer meal site, according to the Food Research and Action Center. Transportation costs, work schedules, and distance keep the rest away.

There is a federal program built to fix exactly this problem. SUN Bucks provides $120 per eligible child in summer grocery benefits, redeemable at any grocery store, giving families like Jasmine's the flexibility to shop near home on their own schedule. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have enrolled. Mississippi has not.

For the third year in a row, Gov. Tate Reeves has opted out, turning down $38 million in federal funding. His office has claimed SUN Bucks is a COVID-era program never meant to be permanent. That is not accurate. Congress made it permanent in 2024, and it is built on pilot programs dating back to 2011.

Three hundred twenty thousand Mississippi children qualify. Their governor has said no three times. Sign this petition to demand Gov. Reeves reverse course and enroll Mississippi in SUN Bucks before another summer passes without relief.