FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Kelly de la Rocha
March 21, 2017 (518) 436-8757 x101 or 518-428-4150
Deadline extended: Monroe County power outage victims now have until March 31 to apply for SNAP Replacement Benefits
Albany, NY – Victims of a severe windstorm and subsequent snowstorms in the Rochester area who lost power and had food spoilage during the outage now have until March 31 to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) replacement benefits.
Hunger Solutions New York is alerting SNAP (food stamp) recipients that if they sustained a power outage for more than 4 hours during the storms and lost food that was purchased with their SNAP EBT card as a result, they may be eligible for replacement benefits.
Replacement benefits are SNAP dollars that are added back onto a recipient’s SNAP EBT card to purchase food to replace what was spoiled or damaged. If food stamp recipients lost food that they purchased with their benefits, they should call or visit their county’s SNAP office immediately. In Monroe County, SNAP is run by the Monroe County Department of Human Services.
If eligible, households will need to fill out a form in order to receive replacement benefits, but they must report the loss as soon as possible. The deadline to apply for replacement benefits is March 31.
The Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) can help clients who need assistance with applying for replacement benefits. NOEP is available through the Monroe County Legal Assistance Center by calling 585-295-5624 or 585-295-5626. Outside of Monroe County, please visit www.foodhelpny.org to find a local NOEP.
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About Hunger Solutions New York, Inc.: Hunger Solutions New York is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating hunger. We promote awareness of hunger in communities across the state, awareness about programs that address hunger, full participation in hunger assistance programs for all who are eligible, public policies that contribute to ending hunger, and public awareness of the economic benefit of anti-hunger programs. For more information, visit www.HungerSolutionsNY.org.