(ABC 6 News) – Today in Des Moines, organizations call on Iowa legislators to prioritize the summer electronic benefit transfer program by supporting legislation that would require Iowa take part.

Previously, the state announced they would no longer participate in the program, which serves roughly 245,000 children a year. The push comes as food banks and pantries say they see a record number of Iowans looking for assistance.

“There were entire towns, entire counties, entire legislative districts that had zero summer meal sites in 2023,” said Luke Elzinga, a board chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition. “I cannot think of another program with this kind of return on investment we’re talking about either.”

The groups hope legislators will adopt the EBT program by the summer of 2025 and continue each year.