The Medical Leader

By MARY MEADOWS
Staff Writer

PIKEVILLE – A program that’s helping food assistance for Pike County residents affected by the July 17 flooding has expanded this week to cover more people.

The Disaster Supplement Nutrition Program (SNAP), operated through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, is providing additional resources for the purchase of food for people who previously had food stamp benefits and people who previously didn’t qualify for food stamp benefits.

The program was initially opened to people living or working in areas with zip codes 41501, 41502, 41522, 41539 and 41557. It has now been expanded to also help people living or working in areas with zip codes 41557, 41559, 41562, 41513 and 41540.

People living in these 10 areas are eligible to receive maximum food stamp benefits for their households if they suffered losses in the flood. Qualifying individuals include people who experienced property damage or loss, people who had losses because their employer was flooded and people who lost food because their electricity was out. It also provides the replacement of food stamps for flood victims who lost their EBT cards and/or food during the flood.

Officials with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Division of Protection and Permanency set up at the Pikeville College gym to provide immediate food stamp benefits on Aug. 4-6.

Assistance will be available at the gym until 6 p.m. on Aug. 6. Sandy Valley Transportation (800-444-RIDE) is providing free transportation to the event for flood victims. Other agencies are also providing clothing, cleaning supplies and other necessities to flood victims. Cooperating agencies include: the Big Sandy Housing Authority, Big Sandy Community Action Program, SouthEast Telephone (offering discounts on services), the Pike County Health Department and other groups.

The assistance will also be provided during the Flood Relief for Kids event at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Aug. 7. Flood victims may also apply at the Department for Community Based Services office, located on 295 Hambley Blvd. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 7; and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 9-11.

Jennifer Adkins, Service Region Administrator Associate for the agency, said that, as of Friday morning, officials issued $76,000 in food stamps to qualifying residents.

The federally-funded program was made available after Adkins and her supervisor Susan Howard realized the need when they toured flooded areas of Pike County and spoke to residents staying at Red Cross’ emergency homeless shelter.

“The flood affected what we call the working poor and the workers who fall between the cracks, the people who were never on the welfare rolls,” Adkins said. “We discovered that a lot of people affected never had received any type of benefits. They were living on the money they were making.”

She and Howard requested the assistance from Frankfort. Officials there sought federal approval to implement the program. Adkins said it is the second time since the 1990s that the program was made available in Pike County after a disaster. It is the first time that qualifying recipients walk out of the registration process with an automatically-funded EBT card, she said. Normally, recipients receive the card in the mail and activate it prior to using it, she said.

The federal funded-program also allows retailers to accept food benefits for prepared or hot foods – a service not usually provided for food benefits recipients.

Photo identification and verification of residency required. Proof of Social Security number for all household members, take-home income, accessible resources and statements regarding disaster-related expenses also requested.

For more information, call 606-433-7760.

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Donations needed

The Pike County Judge-Executive’s office reports Pike County flood survivors are still in need of the following items:

Needs of Flood Survivors
> 1st Aid Kits
> Air Conditioners
> Appliances
> Baby Wash
> Brooms
> Car Seats
> Clothes Hangers
> Coolers
> Diapers and Wipes
> Dusk Masks
> Fans
> Floor Squeegees
> Formula
> Furniture
> Gloves (Latex)
> Hand Sanitizer
> Large Storage Containers
> Mothballs
> Napkins and Paper Towels
> OFF Bug Spray
> Paper Plates
> Pet Food and Leashes
> Plastic Spoons and Forks
> Rakes
> Sheets and Blankets
> Shovels
> Sun Screen
> Tarps
> Toiletry Items
> Totes (Small)
> Trash Bags (Extra Large, Large)
> Water Hoses

All donations may be dropped off at Charity Thrift Store, located at 3690 Collins Highway in Pikeville (contact: 606-639-0389); and Thankful Hearts, located at 165 Adams Branch Road in Pikeville (contact: 606-437-6221).