CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A program that supporters say would help feed millions of low-income Texas children, including thousands in Nueces County, was vetoed by Governor Greg Abbott.
About 48% of Nueces County families struggle to make ends meet, according to local nonprofit Esperanza de Tejas.
"Right now our families in the Coastal Bend are struggling," said Brianna Davis, founder of Esperanza de Tejas.
"Kids deserve food. There's no ifs, and’s or doubts about it," Davis said.
Davis works with neighbors across Nueces County making sure they have access to resources like fresh food. She's seen the growing need firsthand.
"We have seen an increase of almost triple our services and that has been since January," Davis said.
Many families Davis has met struggle to pay rent or buy food, and they aren't the only ones. It's an issue across the state of Texas, where one in four children face food insecurity.
"They're wondering where their next meal is going to come from or they're wondering am I a burden to mom or dad," Davis said.
A lot of low-income kids get their breakfast and lunch at school, which Davis describes as "a safe space for kids to go to get these meals."
But school being out shouldn't mean stomachs being empty.
"Especially those kids who are in those neighborhoods, communities that are predominantly impoverished, those summer programs are a lifeline for them," Davis said.
Governor Abbott says he vetoed the $60 million budget measure out of the state's $338 billion budget because of the uncertain future of federal funding for these types of programs.
Unidos US, a Latino advocacy nonprofit, says the assistance would have benefited more than a million low-income children statewide, including 650,000 Latino kids.
Though the program wouldn't start until 2027, Davis says now is the time to raise your voice by speaking with state representatives and senators.
"Call their offices, tell them how it might be affecting you, your communities, someone you might know. It's a time for all of us to come together and not think of us as individuals but as a community," Davis said.
Governor Abbott says once it becomes clearer how much the program would cost the state over time, lawmakers can decide whether or not to fund it. For now, it's vetoed and there's no word yet on whether the Summer EBT program is at risk on the federal level.
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