Governor Moore Announces Maryland SUN Bucks Program Feeds More than 600,000 Children for Third Consecutive Year, Fights Childhood Hunger

What this means

Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Department of Human Services announced on October 2, 2026, that the 2026 SUN Bucks program delivered more than $72.2 million in grocery benefits to 602,582 students in all 24 Maryland jurisdictions as of September 30. The department said benefits remain active on EBT cards for 122 days after issuance and are expiring on a rolling basis; families may check balances or eligibility through the state hotline or SUN Bucks website, and the agency’s outreach included texts to 73,000 customers with unspent balances.

Official release

Source material from Maryland Governor’s Office. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

Governor Moore Announces Maryland SUN Bucks Program Feeds More than 600,000 Children for Third Consecutive Year, Fights Childhood Hunger

Press Release

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October 2, 2026

Updated: October 2, 2026

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Moore and the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced that, for the third year in a row, the Maryland SUN Bucks program has served more than 600,000 Maryland students. As of September 30, the 2026 program has delivered over $72.2 million in direct grocery benefits to 602,582 students across all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, generating up to $108.3 million in economic impact for local grocery stores and retailers.

“When I first took office I committed to an all out attack on childhood poverty and hunger and over the past three years, the SUN Bucks program has been a central pillar in our commitment,” said Gov. Moore. “By delivering grocery benefits to families, we’re utilizing every tool to address nutritional gaps school children experience during the summer months and further our work in tackling childhood hunger.”

"SUN Bucks means a lot to me and my family and helps us tremendously throughout the summer,” said Mahala Saver, a SUN Bucks customer from Garrett County. “When you're caring for five children, grocery bills add up fast once school lets out. SUN Bucks makes sure I can keep good food on the table for my kids when they aren't receiving regular school meals.”

"Sustaining this scale of assistance for three straight years reflects the Moore-Miller administration’s continued commitment to ensuring Maryland children have access to nutritious food year-round," said Maryland Department of Human Services Acting Secretary Stacy L. Rodgers. "Our job isn't done when benefits are placed on a card — our goal is to make sure those dollars translate into meals on the table. Through direct, proactive outreach, we are removing barriers, closing the participation gap, and helping families make full use of every SUN Bucks dollar available to them.”

For the first time since the program’s inception, DHS launched an outreach campaign this year urging families to spend their SUN Bucks benefits before they expire. The “Use It or Lose It” campaign included targeted social media ads on Meta platforms, which have reached more than 670,000 people and generated over 1.6 million views. Additionally, DHS sent direct text messages to 73,000 customers with unspent balances, prompting them to check their cards and redeem their benefits.

These proactive outreach efforts are working: Maryland reached a 75% SUN Bucks redemption rate 30 days faster than last year, demonstrating the campaign’s success in increasing SUN Bucks usage across the state.

SUN Bucks benefits remain active on EBT cards for 122 days from the date of issuance. All SUN Bucks recipients are encouraged to spend their balances before they expire on a rolling basis through the rest of the year. Families with questions about their SUN Bucks balance, EBT cards, or eligibility can call the hotline at 1-800-332-6347 (and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option) or visit dhs.maryland.gov/sunbucks.

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Release text attributed to Maryland Governor’s Office. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.