District 197 Families May Qualify For Free Food From MN

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN—Families in Independent School District 197 have until March 4 to submit their applications for free or reduced-price meals through their child’s school. Families participating in this program can receive a grocery card from the State of Minnesota, the school district announced Friday.

The news release said that if a family qualifies, they will receive one electronic grocery card per student in the family. The P-EBT cards will be mailed in late March from the State of Minnesota and are a response to families' financial struggles during the pandemic.

If a family’s income has recently become affected by the pandemic, they can apply for their child to receive free or reduced-price meals to qualify for the additional benefits. If a child already receives free or reduced-price meals, the family will automatically become eligible for the P-EBT cards.

You can read the full news release on the district's website.

You can apply for free or reduced-price meals here.

Editor's Note: a previous version of this article said that the grocery cards came from the district but it has since been corrected to say that they are given by the state. Patch regrets the error.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimated that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans would not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.