Thank you for your feedback!
Thank you to everyone who completed the SUN Bucks public comment form! We received 51 responses and many thoughtful reflections on the program. A summary of responses and recommendations is included in the Final Report submitted to the governor’s office and in this newsletter.
The public comment form asked three simple questions:
- I would like to see the SUN Bucks program return for summer 2027 (1-Strongly Agree, 5-Strongly Disagree).
- Please explain your answer above. Is there a specific story or example that illustrates your experience?
- If the program were approved again, what should we think about for future summers?
92% strongly supported continuation of the program in summer 2027. Respondents stated the SUN Bucks benefits helped to offset the rising cost of groceries and the challenge of having children eating more meals at home during the summer months.
- “It helped a lot! With kids being home and needing more snacks and food for breakfast and lunch when you’re already on a budget, it helped so much!”
- “The cost of food is so high. This program helps provide some relief.”
- “As a working mother, every dollar adds up. Thanks to this program, I was able to buy fresh produce and meat, ensuring my children were able to eat well all summer. Thank you for your support. I ask that you please bring this program back.”
- “What a relief this has been to be able to not be so stressed about providing groceries for our family during the summer. I hope to be able to see it return again!”
In addition to financial support, families reported secondary benefits, including teaching their children healthy eating habits, financial skills, and independence. For indigenous families, summer is also a time of ceremony and powwows in which meals play an important role.
- “In addition to the monetary advantage, having money cards with their names on them helped me teach them budgeting and how to go through a checkout line. It also gave them a sense of independence.”
- “It helped my family so much this summer and ensured that my children were eating what they wanted and helped to implement healthy eating choices and money management for both my children.”
- “SUN bucks helped our family out during a month where extra food income was very much appreciated and needed. With our indigenous religious ceremonies our family cooks an extra a lot and receiving the SUN bucks helped us out so much.”
In general, families indicated the program ran smoothly and benefits were easy to use:
- “The program worked perfectly for us.”
- “I hope it is approved again; it was easy to use at the local grocery store and helped our family a lot! Thank you!!”
- “I don’t really have any suggestions because I think what you did this year worked perfect.”
- “I hope that this continues, it was such a blessing.”
If the program were approved in future summers, families recommended issuing benefits earlier in the summer, increasing the benefit amount, issuing benefits on one card per family, increasing outreach, and coordinating with local retailers.
- “Having the money available by the beginning of June would be beneficial”
- “Up the amount if possible to $150.”
- “Putting the SUN bucks on one card for a family with multiple kids.”
- “More time and dollars allocated to marketing and getting the word out to families."
- “SUN bucks can be accepted at farmers market and local farm stands.”
SUN Bucks is one of several tools available to meet the challenge of childhood hunger. It is not a panacea; using the summer feeding site reimbursement rates, the $120 SUN Bucks benefit is equal to ~2 weeks (13 days) of breakfast, lunch, and a snack. The program is complementary to summer feeding sites, but, as one respondent observed, gaps remain:
“The schools who do not participate in the food program still have family financial struggles. It’s not the families’ fault that their schools choose to decline programs, so why should they be declined financial help?”
Your feedback is so valuable as we continue to evaluate program outcomes and document lessons learned over the coming months. Thank you! While the public comment form is closed, you can always reach us with questions and ideas at sunbucks@wyo.gov.
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