Many displaced Ida residents are waiting on the approval of DSNAP or the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters said for DSNAP to go into effect it is designed to unfold in a sequence due to lack of power and accessibility. The first stage is points of distribution sites for food.
“Points of distribution where they’re giving ice and water, that’s the beginning of food assistance,” said Walters.
The second stage includes distributing household products from their various partners. Walters said it’s a thought-out process because you can’t send out DSNAP cards immediately following a hurricane and or disaster.
“Because there’s no grocery store, there’s no power, there’s no phone, there’s no technology, people have to be able to call in to get their DSNAP cards. It’s staged for a reason,” said Walters.
Walters said they do expect to begin sending out DSNAP funds very soon and she highly encourages you to preregister. Louisiana is also unique and piloted the first virtual SNAP registration during the pandemic.
“You call in, we run the DSNAP totally virtually, and then we do have to mail you your cards. So there also has to be in that parish, there has to be a way to get mail to you,” said Walters.
To receive DSNAP information you can call 2-1-1 or text DSNAP to 898-211 or visit DSNAP.
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