Food assistance is coming for those affected by Hurricane Ian. Residents can apply for those benefits starting this week.
Pre-registration for D-SNAP is NOW OPEN through Sunday, Oct. 16 for the following counties:
— Florida Department of Children and Families (@MyFLFamilies) October 10, 2022
🔸Charlotte
🔸Collier
🔸DeSoto
🔸Hardee
🔸Lee
🔸Sarasota
🔸Polk
Visit https://t.co/ANO9dWKVG7 for full details on how to apply. #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/YKj2DKVLAo
Central Floridians who don’t receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance or SNAP benefits, but lost income after Hurricane Ian, are now eligible to receive those benefits.
The money that is loaded onto an EBT card can be used to pay for food and milk at stores and farmers markets for the next 30 days.
UCF’s Christian King studies food insecurity. He says this is good news as food insecurity rates were already high in the area before the storm, and are only expected to rise in the coming days.
“So, about one out of seven adults in Central Florida are food insecure. And for children, it’s one out of five, so it’s almost 20 percent.”
King says each eligible recipient will receive a different amount of aid depending on the size of their household.
“For one person it is $281. And for a family of four it is $939.”
Polk County residents can apply for the program now through October 16th. Orange residents can apply October 17th through the 23rd, and Osceola, Seminole and Volusia residents can apply October 24th through the 30th.
To apply online go to the Florida Department of Children and Families at myflfamilies.com.
