What's new at MLS

We'd love your org to join MLRI in signing on to a letter to Congress to fully fund the WIC program.  Nationwide the funding shortfall could harm over 600K eligible participants. The funding shortfall will have a serious negative impact on hundreds of women, infants and children in…

Greetings SNAP Coalition members.  We hope you had a restful Labor Day break. We have a few important items below, and a reminder that the next statewide SNAP Coalition meeting will be on Tuesday, September 26, from 10-11:30 AM. DTA Commissioner Jeff McCue (who returned to lead DTA) will…

Dear Feeding Our Neighbors and SNAP Coalition Members: As many of you know, tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12th, the Joint Committee on Children and Families is holding a public hearing on roughly 35 bills, including S.76/H.135 An Act establishing basic needs assistance for Massachusetts…

A few updates to start September after Labor Day weekend. Our next Coalition meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 10-11:30. Zoom link here.  In the meantime - if you are following the news, there are concerns circulating about the potential of a government…

We just received word from the Commissioner's office that they have agreed to issue overnight EBT cards to any SNAP recipients whose EBT photo card did not reach them and their current blue card is not active or the envelope was returned to DTA by the postal service as undeliverable. As you…

At the SNAP Coalition meeting on Tuesday we heard from DTA that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently updating databases that DTA workers use to verify Social Security (also called RSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The update will continue through…

1.  Changes to Virtual Gateway SNAP/MassHealth Combo Apps due to Health Care Reform:  We are writing to let SNAP Coalition Members know that the MassHealth Virtual Gateway (VG) portal will be converting to the new health care exchange portal or ConnectorCare system…

DTA has just issued guidance implementing the new EBT Photo card requirements: Operations Memo 2013-57A and Operations Memo 2013-58A. The bulk of the Photo EBT card changes and guidelines are detailed in Operations Memo 2013-57. This email summarizes the key information you should know as Ops…

See email below from the BHA announcing an important community forum on the ARRA cuts. According to ABCD staff, attendees will view MLRI's short ARRA cuts YouTube videos (English and Spanish) as well as receive materials produced by DTA, MLRI and Project Bread materials that explain the cuts, help…

Below is a statement from Massachusetts Administration and Finance Secretary Glen Shor to the Masschusetts Legislature, issued October 2nd, regardin the impact on the federal government shutdown on state services:      To: State Legislature From: Secretary Glen Shor Date:…