What's new at MLS

Thanks to all who tuned in for this morning's Coalition meeting with FNS NERO and DTA. FNS offered to come back to another SNAP Coalition meeting to explain how "Disaster SNAP" works (when there are widespread natural disasters such as fires, tornadoes). DTA also offered to bring their…

  Some highlights from events in the last week...   1.      Vaccine distribution --hot off the presses today, Gov Baker's announcement of  Call Center to help people age 75 or older having trouble making appointments on…

To: SNAP Coalition  Fr: Vicky Negus and Pat Baker   Happy Friday! A number of resources, updates, and information below.    Also, we wanted to flag this powerful NBC nightly news piece on SNAP featuring Stacy Dean, the newly appointed USDA Deputy Under…

Hot off the press is a PDF version of an electronic letter that Department of Higher Ed (DHE) Commissioner Carlos Santiago sent last night to 94,000 MA low income college students. His letter also shares his personal story using SNAP as a college student for his family. The DHE electronic…

We are sharing with you the press release that MLRI released last night with its partners in the Massachusetts Protecting Immigrant Families MA-PIF) in support of President Biden's Executive Order below, and link to the Biden Executive…

A variety of updates on P-EBT, President Biden's planned Executive Actions today, Unemployment and more!    Reminder our next Coalition meeting - with FNS NERO! - will be next Tuesday, February 9 at 10 AM. Agenda and Zoom link to come.    EBT…

MassHealth and the Connector have posted the new paper application form to be used in applying for MassHealth, subsidized insurance through the Connector, CMSP and the Health Safety Net for people under age 65.  It's the ACA-3 (Oct…

USDA recently posted the state-by-state SNAP "timeliness processing" data for FFY 2013 (that's federal fiscal year for Oct 1, 2012 to Sept 31, 2013).    According to USDA, Massachusetts fell from 10th in the nation in FFY 2011 in processing SNAP applications to 39th in…

The Department of Public Health (DPH) has formally announced the WIC switch to the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system from the the more cumbersome food vouchers, This is a significant change for both WIC participants as well as retailers and should be an improvement in…

Have you heard from Massachusetts SNAP recipients about local stores/corner markets that have STOPPED accepting their EBT benefits? In the past month, we have become aware of a few stores that announced they no longer participate in EBT, and put up signs on their front doors…