For Release: Immediate Date: April 29, 2011

Contact: Brad Deen, (919) 733-9190

Disaster food assistance available in 18 counties impacted by tornadoes

RALEIGH — Starting today, food assistance is available to victims in counties hardest hit by the April 16 tornadoes.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, to provide temporary food assistance to individuals in 18 counties whose homes were damaged or destroyed, or who have disaster-related expenses from loss of income or loss of food due to power outages.

“Our staff has been working diligently with local departments of social services in the affected counties to ensure that those who suffered from these devastating storms are able to apply for assistance,” said DHHS Secretary Lanier Cansler. “Hopefully, eligible families will have the burden of recovery eased by getting this help.”

The Food and Nutrition Services program (formerly known as Food Stamps) is open to individuals not normally eligible for benefits in the following counties: Bertie, Bladen, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Onslow, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Wake and Wilson.

Residents of the affected areas of these counties who are not currently receiving food assistance benefits may qualify for a one-month period. Eligibility is based on available income and resources.

Food and Nutrition Services recipients who live in one of the affected counties and who suffered a food loss, damage to their home or self-employment property or loss of wages as a result of the April 16 storms must contact their county in person no later than May 6, 2011, for replacement of benefits unless they have already done so.

Those applying for assistance benefits will be asked to provide proof of identity along with proof of residency, such as a utility bill, and the Social Security numbers and dates of birth for all members of their household. Applicants should apply in the county where they reside.

Application sites will operate for five days at the following county locations:

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Bertie County

Location Service Dates Hours of Operation

Bertie County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

110 Jasper Bazemore Ave.

Windsor, NC 27983

Bladen County

Spaulding-Monroe Alumni Asso. 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

508 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

Bladenboro, NC 28320

Ammon Comm. Building

13129 Hwy 242 North

Elizabethtown, NC 28337

Powell-Melvin Center

450 Smith Circle Dr.

Elizabethtown, NC 28337

Craven County

Craven County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

2818 Neuse Blvd.

New Bern, NC 28561

Cumberland County

Cumberland County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

1225 Ramsey Street

Fayetteville, NC 28301

Currituck County

Currituck County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

2793 Caratoke Highway

Currituck, NC 27929

Greene County

Greene County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

227 Kingold Blvd.

Snow Hill, NC 28580

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Halifax County

Location Service Dates Hours of Operation

Halifax County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

4421 Highway 301

Halifax, NC 27839

Harnett County

Harnett County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

311 Cornelius Harnett Blvd

Lillington, NC 27546

Old Godwin Feed Store

17365 U.S. Highway 421 South

Dune, NC 28334

Hertford County

NC Coop Extension Office 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

301 Tryon Street

Winton, NC 27986

Hoke County

Hoke County DSS 4/29/11 – 4/30/11 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

316 S. Magnolia Street

Raeford, NC 28376 5/1/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Johnston County

Johnston County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

714 North Street

Smithfield, NC 27577

Lee County

Lee County DSS 4/29/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

530 Carthage Street 5/2/11

Sanford, NC 27330 5/3/11

McSwain Agriculture Center 4/30/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

2420 Tramway Road 5/1/11

Sanford, NC 27332

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Onslow County

Location Service Dates Hours of Operation

Onslow County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Emergency Assistance Building

New River Shopping Center

1249 C Hargett Street

Jacksonville, NC 28540

Pitt County

Farmville Community Center 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

3886 S. Main Street

Farmville, NC 27828

Robeson County

Robeson County DSS 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:15 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.

120 Glen Cowan Road

Lumberton, NC 28360

Sampson County

Sampson Co. Dept. of Aging 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

405 County Complex Road

Clinton, NC 28328

Wake County

Chavis Community Center 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

505 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Raleigh, NC 27601

Wilson County

Old Hubert Vester Building 4/29/11 – 5/3/11 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

900 US 301 N.

Wilson, NC 27893

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