The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for families to continue their normal routines and to provide many necessities for their loved ones. There is help out there. The Summer Food Feeding Program from the USDA is continuing free meals at schools. Each child is eligible for a breakfast and lunch at school each day. If students buy food outside of the daily served meals, such as snacks, they will be charged. This program represents a large savings for families.

We learned from remote learning how important good internet services is. Though schools are back to in-person learning, teachers are still using technology to augment instruction; therefore, having good internet connections at an affordable fee is important. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household. For more information, contact your internet service provider or go to GetEmergencyBroadband.org to submit an application and to find participating providers near you. Visit the following websites: