Emergency food assistance is now available for residents who experienced extreme material losses or subsequent flooding due to Hurricane Irene.
Residents must apply by Sept. 20 for the onetime food benefit available through the disaster-related Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (D-SNAP). All counties throughout the state have begun processing the applications and will continue to do so over the next two weeks. Each county has established temporary sites, in addition to its Social Service Offices, for people to request the D-SNAP subsidy, according to a release from the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS).
Individuals and families currently not receiving SNAP benefits and whose storm-related expenses include damages beyond the loss of food due to power outages may be eligible.
Individuals and families in disaster-declared areas and already enrolled with SNAP will automatically receive a onetime supplemental benefit based upon a federal determination of areas that lost power for over four consecutive hours. They do not need to call or visit their county Welfare Agency.
Benefits are electronically applied to a card similar to a debit/credit card for the purchase of certain food items. “We recognize the incredible losses so many people endured, especially from flooding,” said DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez. “D-SNAP and supplemental benefits are an effective way to assist families in the short-term so they can focus on other storm-recovery matters.”
Middlesex County residents will have until Sept. 20 to file an application. Applications will be accepted at the following sites: Monroe Township Community Center, 120 Monmouth Road, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 15, Fri. Sept. 16, Mon. Sept. 19 or Tues. Sept. 20 for residents of Jamesburg, Monroe and South Brunswick;
Old Bridge Township Police Department, 1 Old Bridge Plaza, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 15, Fri. Sept. 16 orMon. Sept. 19 or noon to 6 p.m. Tues. Sept. 20 for residents of East Brunswick, Helmetta, Old Bridge and Spotswood;
The President’s Park Firehouse, 5 Roosevelt Boulevard, Parlin, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 15, Fri. Sept. 16 or Mon. Sept. 19 or 10 to 6 p.m. Tues. Sept. 20 for residents of Sayreville, SouthAmboy and South River;
Woodbridge Township Health Services, 2 George Frederick Plaza, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 15, or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri. Sept. 16, Mon. Sept. 19 or Tues. Sept. 20 for residents of Edison or Metuchen;
Middlesex County Board of Social Services, 181 How Lane, New Brunswick, from noon to 7:30 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 15, Fri., Sept. 16, Mon., Sept. 19 or Tues. Sept. 20, or Sat. Sept. 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for residents of Milltown, North Brunswick and South Brunswick.
The New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Family Development, which administers SNAP through the counties, is coordinating these processes with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services .
For more information visit www.NJSNAP.org or call the Middlesex County Board of Social Services at 732-745-3500.
Residents can check www.nj211.org for valuable disasterrelated information.