Southwest Florida outlets of a chicken salad restaurant are offering free meals for children until SNAP benefits are restored.
The SNAP EBT benefits are to be discontinued as of Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown. The restaurant's offer is effective as of Wednesday, Oct. 29.
A Facebook post by Chicken Salad Chick officials said children would eat free at the Fort Myers, Estero and Port Charlotte Chicken Salad Chick locations until the benefits get restored.
“We are not taking sides or making this political. We just believe that no child should ever go hungry,” the chain’s statement said. “Any child visiting our Fort Myers, Estero and Port Charlotte restaurants will receive a free Kid’s Meal until SNAP benefits are restored in Florida. Please limit to 1 Kid’s Meal per child…the child must be present and eat in the dining room.
"No purchase necessary. Let’s look out for our children, who are both our most vulnerable and most valuable. They are our future.”
One of the store officials said via their Facebook post responses that this offer starts today (Wednesday) and: "you just come in and order your kids meal. You will not need to show anything, just your beautiful child."
The official also said that, normally, age 10 is the child's meal limit, but for the SNAP offer they are extending that to age 12.
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