Food for Florida disaster assistance available in Lafayette, Suwannee counties

Published 2:25 pm Tuesday, October 24, 2017

LIVE OAK — Food benefits will be available to locals impacted by Hurricane Irma from Friday through Tuesday.

The Department of Children and Families, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will implement the Food for Florida Disaster Food Assistance Program in Lafayette and Suwannee counties from Friday through Tuesday at the Live Oak Church of God, 9828 U.S. Highway 129, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

To qualify for the Food for Florida Disaster Food Assistance program, applicants must have lived or worked in one of the counties declared for FEMA Individual Assistance on Sept. 5, and not be receiving food assistance through the regular Food Assistance Program. Additionally, eligible individuals and families must have suffered a disaster-related loss, such as damage to their homes or self-employment property, loss of food, reduction or loss of income, or have incurred other disaster related expenses. 

DCF will provide or mail Electronic Benefits Transfer cards to eligible individuals and families to use at authorized USDA food retailers. The program counts only income and expenses from Sept. 5 through Oct. 4, 2017.

Individuals are encouraged to fill out the initial application for assistance online no later than the day before visiting the Food for Florida location. The application is available on the Food for Florida website.

It is not necessary for someone to bring all of their family members with them to the Food for Florida location. DCF just needs to see one person from each household.

For more information, visit www.myflfamilies.com/fff.