| Oct. 23 Update: |
| Disaster Food
Stamp Program |
-- On October 21,
FNS amended approved Louisiana’s request to issue a second full
month of D-SNAP benefits and supplements to ongoing households in the
seven
parishes impacted by both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike and that
have
already been approved for D-SNAP benefits under the Gustav D-SNAP. The
seven
parishes are Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, St. Mary, Terrebonne,
and
Vermilion. |
--
FNS approved LA’s request to
operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance
Program in 35 parishes declared Presidential disasters with Individual Assistance
for
newly eligible households. |
|
Acadia |
Grant |
Plaquemines |
St. Martin |
|
Allen |
Iberia |
Pointe Coupee |
St. Mary |
|
Ascension |
Iberville |
Rapides |
St. Tammany |
|
Assumption |
Jefferson |
St. Bernard |
Tangipahoa |
|
Avoyelles |
Lafayette |
St. Charles |
Terrebonne |
|
Catahoula |
Lafourche |
St. Helena |
Vermilion |
|
East Baton Rouge |
LaSalle |
St. James |
West Baton Rouge |
|
East Feliciana |
Livingston |
St. John the Baptist |
West Feliciana |
|
Evangeline |
Orleans |
St. Landry |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- The Disaster
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will operate for 14 days in
parishes
affected by the disaster. For a list of Disaster
Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program
application locations and dates, please see
http://www.dss.state.la.us/. |
-- Persons living
in the affected parishes who already receive SNAP
benefits will
receive additional benefits on their EBT card. They do not
need to contact the
Social Services office to receive these additional benefits.
The benefits will be
automatically loaded onto the EBT cards of all SNAP
recipients living in
parishes operating the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program. |
-- FNS approved
LA requests:
|
o |
Allowing hot foods to
be purchased using SNAP benefits in
authorized grocery
retailers statewide through Oct. 19, 2008.
|
|
o |
Providing mass
replacements for 20 percent of the August
food benefits to households currently
participating in SNAP.
|
|
o |
Extending supplemental
payments to currently participating
households up to the benefit level of the
D-SNAP limit. |
|
o |
Extending
certification periods to relieve
administrative activities for the State. |
|
o |
Extending change
reporting requirements from 10 days to 40
days. |
|
o |
Eliminating Simplified
Reporting for September and October. |
|
o |
Waiving merit employee
requirements for eligibility determination
|
|
| |
| School Meals |
--
FNS approved LA request for
several administrative accommodations (waivers) in
National School Lunch and School Breakfast program accountability
procedures, for
schools affected by Hurricane Gustav. Schools that can not
maintain normal
accountability procedures can offer all free meals for two weeks
and at the
discretion of the State Director that authority may be extended
for an additional
two weeks have greater flexibility in meal pattern compliance in
recognition of the
near term problems with a healthy food supply. |
| |
| Commodities |
--
The
Louisiana State Distributing Agency (SDA) received an
additional request for
commodities for use in congregate feeding -- 150 cases of
fruit (peaches and
mixed fruit) were distributed Sept. 10th to two American Red Cross
shelters. |
--
FNS secured approximately 150,000
pounds of USDA household commodities
(peanut butter, canned beef stew, fruits and vegetables) to
be delivered Sept. 8th
to four food bank distribution sites in Louisiana as
requested by the State
Department of Social Services. |
| |
| -- 2008
SNAP Evacuee
Policy |
-- If you
have been affected by the disaster and need food
assistance, please call
your state’s SNAP agency:
Mississippi:
1-800-948-3050
Louisiana:
1-888-LAHELPU |
| --
WIC Disaster
Response |
| -- Press Release:
USDA Prepares for Hurricane Gustav |
-- For general
information on how to apply for the Food Stamp Program,
call
1-800-221-5689 or visit your State
food stamp office. |
