TITLE
Title
DHHS- DIVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES UPDATE DISASTER FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES (DSNAP)
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Heather Skeens
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BACKGROUND
Background
On April 15th, a tornado devastated parts of eastern Greensboro. Due to the amount of damage and the number of residents affected, the area was declared a state of emergency and approved for federal assistance. FEMA services for those affected were coordinated and housed at Guilford DHHS. The state of North Carolina responded with requesting the authorization of Disaster Food and Nutrition Services, known as DSNAP.
DSNAP is a short term food assistance program for families affected by a disaster. Generally, individuals eligible for this program are not eligible to receive traditional Food and Nutrition Services benefits. The income limits are relaxed so that more people can receive assistance.
The Program Managers of Economic Services were tasked with coordinating an event that had not been done in recent history of Guilford County. In a little less than a week, a plan was created and implemented. The agency began administering DSNAP benefits Thursday, May 17th and concluded on Tuesday, May 22nd. Staff from all program areas throughout the agency volunteered to assist with this process. During the six days of administering benefits, more than 4,600 additional customers were seen at the agency. Below is the final data of customers the agency served:
Replacement benefits processed: 1,606
Disaster FNS cards issued: 2,711
Denials: 369
Staff across the agency, regardless of their positions, from every division were required to assist with the efforts. Social Services staff exhibited great teamwork, compassion and an overall willingness to help. There were numerous compliments on the process, organization and most importantly the staff. The customers that came in during this time were very grateful and appreciated the assistance.
In the week following the DSNAP program, managers are wo...
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