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DCF PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR THOSE APPLYING FOR DISASTER SNAP

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TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) will open the first Disaster SNAP (or Food for Florida) sites this week and reminds Floridians seeking disaster food assistance of important details prior to visiting a Food for Florida site. To qualify for the Food for Florida Disaster Food Assistance Program, individuals must have lived or worked in one of the 48declared counties on September 5, and NOT be a customer in the regular food assistance program.  

Individuals and authorized representatives are strongly encouraged to pre-register online. Pre-registration is a brief application process that adds your information to the system in advance of your local site visit. This application is available here, at the Food for Florida website. Pre-registering on the day prior to visiting your local Food for Florida site will allow for faster processing of your application on-site.  

All Food for Florida dates and locations will be posted on the Site Locations link on the Food for Florida website. Service at site locations will be organized by day according to the first letter of your last name. Each site’s alphabetical serving order is listed on the site locations webpage. This program is not first come, first serve. Everyone’s application will be taken and processed at their appropriate county location. 

One EBT card per eligible household will be issued so only the applicant needs to visit the local Food for Florida site in person. Additional individuals attending may contribute to longer lines and extended service times. 

To make your visit to your local Food for Florida site as convenient as possible, remember these important items:

  • Fill out the initial application the day before visiting your local site via the pre-registration link at the Food for Florida website.
  • Only one applicant needs to visit the site in person as only one EBT card will be issued per eligible household.
  • Visit the local site on the indicated date for your last name. 
  • Current food assistance participants should not visit the local Food for Florida site or pre-register; additional September/October benefits will be added to your EBT card within five days of your county’s Food for Florida site opening.

Food for Florida sites will open across the state over the next five weeks to serve eligible Floridians who lived or worked in the 48 counties FEMA declared for Individual Assistance following damage from Hurricane Irma. Sites are opening on specific dates based on the infrastructure required to support a Food for Florida operation, such as venue size, power, and accessibility, as well as community resources available to purchase and safely store food.  

For more information, visit the Food for Florida website.  

DCF TO INITIATE DISASTER SNAP FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN 48 COUNTIES

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DCF TO INITIATE DISASTER SNAP FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN 48 COUNTIES

~Food for Florida sites will assist individuals and families recovering from Hurricane Irma~

TALLAHASSEE – The Department of Children and Families (DCF), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will implement the Food for Florida Disaster Food Assistance Program in 48 counties to assist victims of Hurricane Irma. Details on local Food for Florida sites will be posted on the Food for Florida website as they become available.

“We are working around the clock to provide relief to those affected by Hurricane Irma damage,” said DCF Secretary Mike Carroll.  “We will continue to stand side-by-side with those who need us as they get back on their feet. We encourage those in need of food assistance to pre-register if possible through the website so we can quickly serve those in need.”

To qualify for the Food for Florida Disaster Food Assistance program, applicants must have lived or worked in one of the counties declared for FEMA Individual Assistance on September 5, and not be receiving food assistance through the regular Food Assistance Program. Additionally, eligible individuals and families must have suffered a disaster-related loss, such as damage to their homes or self-employment property, loss of food, reduction or loss of income, or have incurred other disaster related expenses. Applicants must also be financially eligible. DCF will provide or mail Electronic Benefits Transfer cards to eligible individuals and families to use at authorized USDA food retailers. The program counts only income and expenses from September 5 through October 4, 2017.

Food for Florida pre-registration will be available on the Food for Florida website and open for people in need of food assistance in eligible counties through October 30. Food for Florida sites in Pinellas, Bradford, Union, Alachua, Lake, Sumter, and Citrus counties will open next week. Individuals who lived or worked in these counties can pre-register beginning today at 2:00 p.m. Pre-registration for other eligible counties will be available prior to the local sites opening. Individuals, families, and authorized representatives that pre-register must still visit a Food for Florida site, listed on the Food for Florida website, to be interviewed. Individuals may also apply at the Food for Florida site locations without pre-registering. You must have a valid Florida Driver License or Florida Identification card.

Visit the Food for Florida website for more information on pre-registration, site locations, and hours of operation.