Hurricane Irene Food Assistance Program Ends Sept. 20

The deadline for emergency food stamps for victims of Hurricane Irene has been extended to Wednesday, Sept. 21 in Somerset County and ends Tuesday, Sept. 20 in Middlesex County.

Many people may not think they qualify for the food aid relief, but the mounting costs of trying to recover from the hurricane's widespread flooding means that many individuals and families are eligible for the aid.

Entitled D-SNAP (Disaster Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), the program is intended to aid people who suffered losses from Hurricane Irene which caused the state to be declared a federal disaster area.

The costs of repairing hurricane damage, and other losses, such as food, furniture, and clothing, and any expenses incurred for hurricane survival, such as moving to a hotel because a home was uninhabitable, are all taken off an applicant's income.

This means that many people who would normally not qualify for food assistance will under the D-SNAP program, according to information from the county Dept. of Social Services.

Information requirements have also been relaxed because of the emergency, meaning that filling out the Social Services form is relatively simple. 

Applications are being taken in person at the Woodbridge Health Dept. For more info, call 732-855-0600.