Agenda for tomorrow's SNAP Coalition Meeting; Reminder on SNAP Misfortune Replacements

Looking forward to seeing many of you tomorrow for our regular 4th Tuesday SNAP Coalition meeting!  Below is the Zoom link.

SNAP Coalition AGENDA:

• Federal SNAP updates - status of newly filed SNAP legislation and other updates from our colleagues at FRAC 

• 2023 State Legislative and FY24 Budget Campaigns  - Brief review of the key campaigns we are tracking including Universal School Meals, Hunger Free Campus Initiative, State-fund Benefits for Immigrants, Lift our Kids, Healthy Incentives Program and more!  Learn how you can be involved.

• Sunsetting of SNAP Extra Covid Benefits - update and discussion of best ways to reach households to help offset loss of SNAP. We’ve attached a copy of DTA’s notice being sent to households (redacted), and don’t forget about DTA’s materials on how to “Get the Most out of SNAP”  including self-dec of medical, child care and shelter costs!

• Skimming updates - Also, check out this powerful This American Life story broadcast this weekend, and the heroic efforts a single mom’s quest for justice (Renee Z of Maryland) to try to get law enforcement to pay attention and track down the thieves.

• DTA Online Guide Updates: Brief review of recent Online Guide Transmittals including policy clarifications affecting immigrants, reminder on how the child support income deduction works and the recent Social Security COLA 

Coalition ZOOM Link for January 24th: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89331685051?pwd=WjJMMUZKVWtTWUdERmp6WjQvRXFIZz09 

SNAP Misfortune Benefits Alert:  

Thanks to today’s continued heavy rain and wind storm, parts of Massachusetts including Franklin, Middlesex and Worcester County remain without power. And some schools remain closed. Here’s the MEMA webpage that tracks outages around the state. 

We just want to remind Coalition members that SNAP households who lost or had to toss food that became unsafe to eat due to extended outages (4 hours or more) can request SNAP replacement benefits. SNAP households can telephonically sign the Misfortune Replacement Request DTA is still updating that form..  For more information, go to DTA’s Misfortune webpage here.