ASHEVILLE – Friday, Oct. 25, marks the last day for people affected by Tropical Storm Helene in Alexander, Buncombe, Haywood, Macon and McDowell counties to apply for emergency food assistance through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The department announced a one-day extension on Thursday for in-person applications, which close Friday at 4 p.m.
In recent days, some locations saw lines extending out the doors and down the street.
At the Buncombe County Health and Human Services location in Asheville on Friday, Oct. 25, applicants were ushered in quickly, a stark contrast to the long lines that location had seen over the last few days.
On Thursday, a line of applicants stretched down the city block.
Following requests from counties affected by Helene, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved an additional day for county residents to apply for food assistance, aimed at helping families recover from storm-related damages.
Ben Yanes, exiting the building, said he heard about the extension through word of mouth.
“It’s impressive in there. They’re just, like, really fast and really compassionate too, in that moment of, like, bureaucracy. It’s kind of impressive,” he said.
To qualify, applicants must provide proof of losses from the storm, such as property damage or income loss. They also need to bring identification, proof of residency, and show that income and resources meet D-SNAP eligibility thresholds.
Anyone in line by 4 p.m. Friday will be allowed to complete their application process before the day ends, the department said.
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Lines moved quickly Friday morning in Asheville. At times, groups of 10 would form but were quickly ushered inside.
“I spent about an hour inside,” said Lindsey Chewing, who, like most people there, said she heard about the extension on social media.
As of Wednesday, more than 105,000 people had been approved to receive D-SNAP benefits, according to the department.
County residents can find their local D-SNAP application site by visiting the NCDHHS website.
For those who pre-registered online by Oct. 24 but missed their call center interview, NCDHHS advises them to expect a follow-up call from officials by Nov. 1 to finalize their applications.
As some applicants walked out, a volunteer called out, “If you know someone, please send them — we don’t have a line.”
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Miguel Toress is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at MTorres@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: DSNAP Helene relief in Buncombe, Haywood, Macon, McDowell Oct. 25
