RALEIGH — Residents in three western counties impacted by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred can apply for help buying food through the Disaster Food and Nutrition Services (D-FNS), or Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) beginning Monday, Oct. 4, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced.

NCDHHS received federal authority to implement the program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Residents in Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties will be able to apply for help buying food through the Disaster Food and Nutrition Services, or Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (D-SNAP) between Oct. 4-7, 2021.

The program is open to individuals not currently receiving Food and Nutrition Services benefits and who were affected by remnants of Tropical Storm Fred. Benefits may be available to individuals that would not normally be eligible for Food and Nutrition Services.

"This program will help people who have suffered losses due to Tropical Storm Fred buy food for their families," said Tara Myers, NCDHHS Deputy Secretary for Employment, Inclusion and Economic Stability. "Anyone who lives in these three counties and needs this help should apply as soon as they can."

Eligible households will receive a one-time benefit on a special debit card (called an EBT card) to help buy food. The exact amount will depend on household size, but a family of one would receive $234, a family of four would receive $782 and larger families would receive more.

To apply:
Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania county residents who were impacted by Tropical Storm Fred and not currently receiving Food and Nutrition Service Benefits who want to apply for help buying food can use the D-SNAP Prescreener Form and submit it to a secure county email at the email address listed below. Residents can also submit the D-SNAP Prescreener Form via fax, telephone, drop-box or do so in person at designated application sites beginning Monday, Oct, 4 through Thursday, Oct.7. They can also complete their application ahead of time and bring it with them to DSS by downloading the form in English or Spanish.

Please note – All pre-screener forms must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7. Any pre-screener form or application submitted by email, fax or drop box and received after 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7 will not be a valid submission and will not be processed for payment.

Buncombe County Department of Social Services
40 Coxe Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 250-5500 telephone | (828) 250-6235 fax
dssmail@buncombecounty.org
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday

Haywood County Department of Social Services
157 Paragon Parkway
Clyde, NC 28721
(828) 452-6620 telephone | 828-452-6752 fax
dss.mail@haywoodcountync.gov
7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday

Transylvania County Department of Social Services
106 E. Morgan St.
Brevard, NC 28712
828-884-3174 telephone | 828-884-3261 fax
dssdocs@transylvaniacounty.org
8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday

To be eligible, a person must:

• Live in Buncombe, Haywood or Transylvania counties.

• Have suffered losses/damages related to remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, such as damage to property, or loss of income.

• Have proof of identity and proof of residency (if available).

• Meet special disaster income limits.

• Not currently receiving help to buy food through the FNS program. Residents in these counties already receiving FNS can also get extra help buying food, but do not need to fill out a D-SNAP application. They can get more information about how to get the extra help here.

While Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania county residents are encouraged to apply at the Department of Social Services in the county of their residence, they can also apply in person at any of the three eligible counties. NCDHHS will post information on locations and hours of the sites in each county. Residents in these counties can also dial 2-1-1 for information on application sites in their county.

Wait times should be anticipated, and county officials will do everything they can to process applications as quickly as possible.

Residents in these counties who need assistance with applying for D-SNAP can have an Authorized Representative apply for benefits on their behalf. These includes residents who don’t have transportation, are disabled or are physically not able to apply for D-SNAP for themselves. Persons who are elderly or who are disabled are strongly encouraged to name an Authorized Representative to complete an application for D-SNAP on their behalf.

An authorized representative is an individual designated by the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) unit to apply for D-SNAP benefits, use D-SNAP benefits to purchase food for the D-SNAP unit or both apply and use D-SNAP benefits on behalf of the DSNAP unit. The Authorized Representative can complete this form in English or Spanish or provide a signed statement from the applicant/head of household or an adult household member authorizing them as a representative and to make an application on their household's behalf.

Authorized Representatives must bring proof of identity and proof of identity of the applicant/head of household when they apply on site for D-SNAP benefits on behalf of the client.

To prevent the spread of COVD-19, individuals wishing to apply for DSNAP should wear face coverings in all county offices.