The summer food program Oklahoma turned down this year is available next year, but the deadline to sign up is just around the corner.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.Aug. 15 is the deadline for the state to opt into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer EBT program, and some are hoping the state doesn’t miss out on the money.After Gov. Kevin Stitt rejected those funds for this summer, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is asking him to reconsider for 2025.“It doesn’t matter how you see the investment. Whether it’s a business investment, economic investment, or human investment, the best investment our state can make is in feeding children,” said Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the food bank.>> Download the KOCO 5 AppThe Sun Bucks Program provides $40 per month, per child, to families who qualify. It’s meant to help keep food on the table in the summer, when kids aren’t getting free meals at school."We can all agree we don't want anybody to go hungry in the state of Oklahoma, and I can assure you that's not going to be the case in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said earlier this year when he announced the state would not be taking the money this summer.The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma said they’ve fed a lot of hungry children with their usual program, but they need more.“Until we have both programs working collectively along with nonprofit organizations, we can’t possibly begin to meet the needs of our children,” Dykstra said.The food bank is asking Stitt to make a plan to use this money ahead of next week’s deadline, but his office told KOCO 5 that “no decision has been made yet.” Oklahoma Human Services said they’re “evaluating the feasibility of implementing Summer EBT.”“We just don’t have access to all of our children that need it,” Dykstra said.Stitt didn’t rule out joining the program when the state rejected funds in January, saying the rules weren’t finalized for the new program. However, the food bank said this program is similar to one during the pandemic. “The way that we were able to feed children during the pandemic was through that program. It was so successful that we ended up making it a federal program,” Dykstra said. “That is the only way we can ensure that every child that might otherwise be hungry this summer has access to the food they need.”Top HeadlinesOldest living US track Olympian still chasing goals of inspiring athletesRemains identified in decades-old Oklahoma cold caseIslamic State group material found at 2nd suspect’s home in foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift showsPreliminary information released in deadly Oklahoma City plane crashInvasive species, Asian Longhorned Tick, found in Oklahoma