Vehicles started lining up for the P-EBT summer drive-thru distribution as early as 7 a.m. at the NAP office in As Lito on Wednesday.
The vehicles lining up for the P-EBT summer drive-thru distribution can be seen as far as As Perdido Road.
A NAP vehicle with the “End of Line” sign is seen on Wednesday at around 3:30 p.m.
SAIPAN residents in their vehicles started lining up as early as 7 a.m. on Wednesday for the drive-thru P-EBT distribution at the Nutrition Assistance Program office in As Lito.
Some residents parked their vehicles on Tuesday night so they could be first in line when the NAP office opened the following morning.
On Wednesday morning, a long line of vehicles could be seen from the NAP office all the way to As Perdido Road by GPPC Construction.
P-EBT stands for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer. Through the program, eligible families receive electronic benefit transfer or EBT cards or coupons that can be used to purchase food items. The program aims to help alleviate food insecurity among children during periods when they are unable to access meals at school.
According to NAP, school-aged children in public and private schools, from kindergarten to 12th grade, and children with the Early Head Start and Head Start programs, are qualified for the Summer 2022 P-EBT.
Children under 6 years old who were NAP clients in June, July, or August 2022 are also entitled to the summer benefit.
The Summer P-EBT distribution on Saipan will be issued based on the last name of the child’s parent or guardian.
A-B began on June 9; C-D on June 10; E-K on June 12; L-N on June 13; O-R on June 14; S-T on June 15; and U-Z on June 16.
NAP reminds residents on Saipan that if they have missed their P-EBT scheduled date or letter, they won’t be able to come in on the other scheduled dates.
There will be an open day via walk-in on June 20, 2023, Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it will run until Dec. 31, 2023, except on weekends and holidays.
The coupons are valid through Dec. 2023 and each child receives about $455 in benefits.
As the identity of the parent or legal guardian will be verified based on the list of eligible households, the adults in the households are required to provide a valid photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, municipal ID, U.S. permanent resident card, etc.
Although P-EBT benefits are supposed be issued from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., NAP staffers do not turn away residents who arrive late. At times, NAP has accommodated residents up to 6:30 p.m.
