Hurricane Irma: Food assistance program begins in Jacksonville area

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The Florida Department of Children and Families and the Department of Agriculture are teaming up, bringing food to Florida to feed families impacted by Hurricane Irma.

Duval County: Regency Square Mall, Suite 260 (main hub). 
Oct. 11: A - D 
Oct. 12: E - H
Oct. 13: I - L
Oct. 14: M – P
Oct. 15: Q - T 
Oct. 16: U - Z
Oct. 17: Make-up Day

The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) is underway as of Wednesday in Nassau, Duval, and St. Johns counties. The program gives food assistance to households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster. The criteria is based on income requirements and size of household.

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Local families are still recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Irma and now DCF and DOA are bringing food for Floridians.

To qualify for the program, applicants must have lived or worked in a county declared for FEMA individual assistance and not receive regular food assistance.

Eligible families must have suffered Irma-related damage to their homes, and lost food or income during the storm.

The program only counts for expenses from Sept. 5 through Oct. 4, and through Oct. 17 families can head to Food for Florida sites at the Regency Square Mall and the St. Augustine fairgrounds.

Local families in need of relief after the storm crowded Regency Square Mall Wednesday. The line wrapped around the parking lot multiple times and stretched all the way over to the other side, where the mall is located.

DCF said there was public safety concern and reached capacity around 10 a.m. Wednesday and stopped allowing people to join the line. DCF employees will be serving Duval County for six days working 11 hours a day to help recipients. 
 
Officials recommend applicants to preregister online, then you'll spend less time in line. Those who qualify will receive financial support on their issued EBT cards. Once approved, it takes 72 hours to activate September's benefits and another 48 hours to receive October's benefits.

DCF told Action News Jax there are some rumors they want to clear up about limited money and first come first serve. They told us everyone who qualifies will receive financial assistance from D-Snap. 
 
DCF is using your last name as the criteria of when you should apply for your benefits. If your last name starts with E-H, you can register at the Regency Square Mall Thursday. If your last name starts with an 'A, B, C, or D' and you missed your chance on Wednesday, then you'll have a make-up day. You will want to register on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

More information on the Food for Florida assistance can be found here.

For the schedule and locations for registration click here. 

Cox Media Group