A targeted text messaging campaign by the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) and nonprofit partner mRelief has led to more than 2,700 new enrollments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among families previously receiving only summer benefits through Maryland SUN Bucks.
The pilot initiative, conducted in September 2025, reached 170,700 households that participated in the 2025 SUN Bucks program, which provided grocery assistance to a record 630,006 school-aged children across all 24 Maryland jurisdictions during the summer months. The campaign sent bilingual English and Spanish text messages alerting families to potential year-round SNAP eligibility and directing them to an online screener at mymdthink.maryland.gov.
An impact report released recently by DHS estimates the new enrollments unlocked $5.5 million in additional food benefits over six months. SNAP delivers an average of $331 per household monthly, extending reliable food support beyond the temporary $120 per child ($40 each for June, July, and August) offered by SUN Bucks.
The effort addresses a key gap: At the campaign’s start, only about half of SUN Bucks participants were enrolled in SNAP, even though many met eligibility criteria. Of the 28,401 households that began the eligibility screening process, 42% were deemed likely eligible for SNAP. The bilingual approach proved effective in engaging Spanish-speaking families, and roughly 5% of completers originated from phone numbers outside the original outreach list, indicating organic community sharing of the information.
“This campaign shows the power of connecting families to the resources they need in ways that are simple and effective,” said Gloria Brown Burnett, Interim Secretary of Human Services. “By reaching thousands of households through text messaging, we were able to help families access critical food assistance. This is exactly the kind of innovation and partnership we need to close gaps and make benefits more accessible for Marylanders.”
Brittany Jones, executive director of mRelief, highlighted the collaboration’s dual value. “This partnership provided us with an exciting opportunity to implement tried-and-true strategies, while developing novel solutions to address program-specific challenges,” Jones said. “We are equally excited about the impact this partnership had on Maryland residents in 2025 as we are about the opportunities it opens up to continue boosting cross-enrollment into the future.”
The Moore-Miller Administration has prioritized reducing childhood poverty through expanded access to benefits. Maryland SUN Bucks, launched in 2023 and growing steadily, automatically enrolled nearly 99% of eligible children last summer based on participation in free or reduced-price school meals or other programs like SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance, or Medicaid. The 2025 enrollment of 630,006 children marked a significant increase from prior years, reflecting improved outreach and data sharing across state agencies.
DHS plans to launch another targeted outreach campaign later in 2026 to build on these results and further close enrollment gaps for eligible families.
The initiative aligns with broader state goals to meet families where they are through innovative, low-barrier tools like text messaging and quick online screeners. Officials emphasize that such partnerships demonstrate scalable methods to strengthen food security year-round for Maryland households with children.