Western NC Residents Can Apply for Help Buying Food Following Hurricane Helene

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October 15, 2024
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Western NC Residents Can Apply for Help Buying Food Following Hurricane Helene

Residents in Western North Carolina Can Apply for Help Buying Food Following Hurricane Helene

Los habitantes del oeste de Carolina del Norte pueden
solicitar ayuda para comprar alimentos tras el huracán Helene 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 14, 2024

Contact: ne**@dh**.gov
919-855-4840

 

RALEIGH — Residents in 25 western counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for help buying food through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) which will begin on Oct.18, 2024, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced today. D-SNAP is open to individuals and households not currently receiving Food and Nutrition Services benefits who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. NCDHHS estimates more than 150,000 people will apply for up to $120 million in D-SNAP benefits.  

“We are making up to $120 million available to more than 150,000 individuals to buy food for their families — an essential step on the road to recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Helene,” said N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We are committed to using every tool to support the recovery of our friends, families, and fellow North Carolinians in western NC — now and for the long haul.”

NCDHHS received federal approval to begin phase one of the program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture beginning on Oct. 18, 2024. People can start applying for assistance three days before the program starts during online pre-registration beginning Oct. 15 and will have seven days from the start of the program to apply. The application period will close on Oct. 24, 2024.

Eligible households will be notified within three days of completing the application and receive a one-time benefit on a special debit card (called an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT card) to help buy food. The exact amount will depend on household size, income and disaster losses. While there are income eligibility standards, a number of considerations are taken into account. Individuals above these limits may still be eligible dependent on disaster expenses, so we encourage everyone who needs support to purchase food to begin their application by calling the DSNAP Virtual Call Center at 1-844-453-1117.

The benefits are good for up to nine months. Benefit cards will be available for pick up at the D-SNAP locations in each county or you can get the EBT card mailed to you overnight at the address you specify on your application.

To be eligible, a person must:

  • Live in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey Counties.
  • Be a member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians living in zip code 28719
  • Have suffered losses/damages related to Hurricane Helene, such as damage to property or loss of income.
  • Have proof of identity and proof of residency (if available).
  • Have income and resources below certain levels.
  • Not currently be receiving benefits 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 on the FNS webpage.

Residents are encouraged to apply for D-SNAP by phone, when possible, by calling the D-SNAP call center at 1-844-453-1117. The D-SNAP call center will be open at the following hours:

  • Weekdays (Friday, Oct. 18; Monday, Oct. 21; Tuesday, Oct. 22; Wednesday, Oct. 23; and Thursday, Oct. 24) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon.

 Residents are encouraged to apply for D-SNAP by phone on their assigned day by last name but will not be turned away if they apply any time during the application period.

  • Oct. 18 – A-G
  • Oct. 19 – H-M
  • Oct. 20 – N-S
  • Oct. 21 – T-Z
  • Oct. 22 – Open to all
  • Oct. 23 – Open to all
  • Oct. 24 – Open to all

Residents can also use the online ePASS Pre-Registration Tool, which will open on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and close on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Once the pre-registration is completed, applicants will be issued a confirmation number and will need to call 1-844-453-1117 between Oct. 18 and Oct. 24 to complete the interview part of the application.

Residents can also apply for D-SNAP in-person at any of the following locations listed below. The D-SNAP sites listed below will be open at the following hours:

  • Weekdays (Friday, Oct. 18; Monday, Oct. 21; Tuesday, Oct. 22; Wednesday, Oct. 23; and Thursday, Oct. 24) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Alexander County Department of Social Services
Alexander County DSS Office
604 7th St. SW
Taylorsville, NC 28681

Alleghany County
Emerson Black Building
1375 US Hwy 21 N
Sparta, NC 28675

Ashe County Department of Social Services
Main Ashe DSS Office
150 Government Circle, Suite 1400
Jefferson, NC  28640

Avery County
Avery County Library (Basement)
150 Library Road
Newland, NC 28657

Buncombe County Department of Social Services
Main Buncombe County DSS Office
40 Coxe Ave.
Asheville, NC, 28801

Burke County Department of Social Services 
Burke County DSS Office
700 E Parker Road
Morganton, NC 28655

Caldwell County  
Former Walgreens Building
621 Harper Ave.
Lenoir, NC   28645

Catawba County Department of Social Services 
Catawba County DSS Office
3030 11th Ave Drive
Hickory, NC 28602

Clay County Department of Social Services 
Clay County DSS Office
119 Courthouse Drive
Hayesville, NC 28904

Cleveland County
Cleveland County Schools Bus Garage
300 Kemper Road
Shelby, NC 28152

Gaston County Department of Social Services 
Main Gaston County DSS Office
330 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Gastonia, NC 28052

Haywood County
Haywood County DSS Office
157 Paragon Pkwy #300, Clyde, NC 28721

Henderson County
Living Waters Baptist Church
1284 Sugarloaf Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Jackson County
Jackson County DSS Office
15 Griffin St.
Sylva, NC 28779

Lincoln County Department of Social Services 
Lincoln County DSS Office
1136 East Main St.
Lincolnton, NC 28092

Macon County Department of Social Services 
183 Holly Springs Plaza
Franklin, NC 28734

Madison County Department of Social Services 
Madison DSS Office
5707 US Hwy 25-70, Suite 1
Marshall, NC 28753

McDowell County 
McDowell County YMCA Gym: Bottom Level
348 Grace Corpening Drive
Marion, North Carolina 28752

Mitchell County Department of Social Services 
Mitchel County DSS Office
347 Longview Drive
Bakersville, NC 28705

Polk County Department of Social Services 
231 Wolverine Trail
Mill Spring, NC 28756

Rutherford County Department of Social Services 
Isothermal Community College (ICC) Foundation Performing Arts Center
286 ICC Loop Road
Spindale NC 288160

Transylvania County Library
212 South Gaston St., “Rogow Room”
Brevard, NC 28712

Watauga County Department of Social Services 
Watauga County DSS Office
132 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite C
Boone, NC 28607

Wilkes County Department of Social Services 
Wilkes County DSS Office
304 College St.
Wilkesboro, NC 28697

Yancey County  
Burnsville Town Center
6 South Main St.
Burnsville, NC 28714
 
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Residing in 28719:

Qualla Boundary
Qualla Boundary
1526 Acquoni Road
Cherokee, NC

Jackson
Jackson County DSS Office
15 Griffin St.
Sylva, NC 28779
 
While people in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey Counties and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians living in 28719 are encouraged to apply in their county of residence, they can also apply in person at any of the counties approved to implement D-SNAP. NCDHHS will post information on locations and hours of the sites in each county at www.ncdhhs.gov/dsnap.   

Please know there may be long wait times. County officials will do everything they can to process applications as quickly as possible.

People who may have a disability or are physically unable to go in-person applying for help can complete this form in English or Spanish and send an authorized representative in their place. 

NCDHHS is working with USDA on adding two additional counties through phase two of the D-SNAP implementation at a later date. Once approved, NCDHHS will share additional information.

For information regarding Hurricane Helene and additional resources and flexibilities in place, please go to www.ncdps.gov/Helene and www.ncdhhs.gov/helene.

 

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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English.  Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to:

  1. mail: 
    Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
    1320 Braddock Place, Room 334
    Alexandria, VA 22314; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    FN**********************@us**.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.