PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Children and Families is encouraging anyone who lives in Pinellas County and was impacted by the hurricane to stop by Tropicana Field to apply for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance or D-SNAP.
Travis Jenkins was one of the people who stopped by Tropicana Field to apply Thursday morning.
"It was alright, in and out, quick. About 10 minutes I was in there," he said.
Within that 10 minutes, Travis Jenkins was able to get a temporary EBT card. Jenkins says it's a process he hopes more people take advantage of.
"Definitely come out and get food stamps and stuff if you lost any power or any food," he added,
Until Saturday, DCF is issuing the cards to Pinellas County people impacted by Hurricane Ian, like Brenda Summers, who lost her power.
"Four days. It was out for like four days. So we lost all the food," she said.
Chris Letsos with DCF Suncoast Region anticipates 50,000 people will show up for disaster relief.
"The key is just to come down prepared to go through the process. But that's what it's here for. It's as a result of disaster to make sure that individuals and families here in Pinellas County have what they need to be whole," he said.
Qualifying people must:
- live in a designated disaster county;
- have food loss, damage to home or self-employment property, a delay, reduction, or loss of income due to the disaster, or have disaster-related expenses;
- have available assets and income less than the limits required for this program;
- complete a D-SNAP application during the designated period, and
- provide proof of identity
"it'll vary based on their situation. And they'll walk away with an EBT card, with the funds ready to go out and buy the necessary food that they need for themselves or their families," said Letsos.
Income is also a requirement. It varies by person, but a general breakdown estimates a one-person household making $1950 a month or less could get $281. A family of four bringing in $3130 could take home $939.
The USDA estimates 743,000 households throughout 19 identified counties will be eligible, equalling a total of about $513 million in food assistance.
This assistance is only for people who aren't already receiving SNAP benefits. An additional 613,000 households are estimated to receive $65 million more.
This is assistance people like Summers are happy to see.
"It's great the state trying to help, you know, replace what we lost. So I was happy," she said.
Applicants who were approved during the telephone interview for D-SNAP will receive their EBT card by mail and should not attend the on-site D-SNAP location. Households that do not live or work in Pinellas County will not be served at this on-site D-SNAP location.
The tents remain open at Tropicana Field through Saturday. It opens at 7 A.M. and closes at 5 P.M.
To view the D-SNAP schedule by county and details on how to apply, visit MyFLFamilies.com/DSNAP.
2022.10 USDA FL-Hurricane Ian DSNAP 19 Counties Approval FY2023 by ABC Action News on Scribd
