Starting Wednesday, Greene County residents impacted by Hurricane Florence will be able to apply for help buying food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or “D-SNAP,” Governor Roy Cooper announced Monday. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services received federal authority to implement the program in Greene County, which has been added to the list of counties approved for D-SNAP from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In total, 28 North Carolina counties are now part of the program.
“This is critical help for families trying to get back on their feet after Hurricane Florence,” Governor Cooper said. “I encourage people in Greene County who need this help to apply as soon as they can.”
Residents of Greene County who want to apply must do so in person at the Lenoir Community College, 602 W. Harper St., Snow Hill, NC 28580, from Wednesday, Oct. 5 to Thursday, Oct. 11, with the exception of Sunday, Oct. 7, when the application site will be closed. Residents can apply weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Residents of the other 27 counties who want to apply must do so in person through Saturday, Oct. 6. Most application sites in the 28 counties will be the local department of social services office in each county. Application site locations and hours of the sites in each county are posted on the DHHS website. People can also dial 2-1-1 for information on application sites in their county.
Eligible households will receive a one-time benefit on a special debit card (called an EBT card) to help buy food. The amount will depend on household size, but a family of one would receive $192, a family of four would receive $640 and larger families would receive more.
To be eligible, a person must:
• Live in one of the disaster declared counties.
• Have suffered losses/damages related to Hurricane Florence, such as damage to property, loss of income or food loss.
• Have proof of identity and proof of residency (if available).
• Have income and resources below certain levels.
• Not currently be receiving help buying food through the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program. People receiving FNS can also get extra help buying food, but do not need to fill out a D-SNAP application. They can get more information about how to get the extra help here.
Applicants are encouraged to complete their application ahead of time and bring it with them by downloading the form in English HERE or in Spanish HERE.
People who may have a disability or are physically unable to go in person to apply for help can complete this form and send an authorized representative in their place.
Wait times should be anticipated at application sites due to the volume of people expected to apply. County officials will do everything they can to process applications as quickly as possible.
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