HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Island families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may not have to worry about food that spoiled during power outages caused by Typhoon Mawar.
According to Art San Agustin, the director of the Department of Public Health and Social Services, the island has applied to be approved for two food-centered aid programs.
The first, for which only households already on SNAP are eligible, would replace items that were spoiled or otherwise damaged during the storm.
“We’ve submitted our paperwork so that we can apply for food loss into the SNAP program,” San Agustin told The Guam Daily Post. “What that’s going to provide, once approved, to provide our current SNAP recipients (the option) to file a food-loss affidavit. Once that’s received, we will then process that request and the amount of percentage they declare as food loss will then be uploaded to their (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards.”
San Agustin said SNAP families won’t have to save receipts to prove the value of the spoiled food – they’ll just have to report a percentage of their overall food lost.
“So if they … they determine a 20% food loss, (beginning May 22), (it’s) OK to file that. And also from the point of losing food, (and) have they consumed 40%, 50%, 60%, that’s their household. They would know that best. That’s the percentage they will put on the (application). So they don’t have to provide receipts. We’re being guided by the SNAP program,” he said.
He told the Post applications can be turned in digitally by email or WhatsApp, in person or via a drop box, which he said was being organized.
Food assistance for others
Those not already on SNAP also may get some government aid for groceries.
According to San Agustin, now that individual aid has been approved through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the local government is applying for Disaster SNAP, or DSNAP, which can be granted to families outside the income eligibility for the regular program.
Progress on that front, however, will take some time, the director clarified.
“That’s going to be like a month out from now,” he said. “(That’s our) best estimate.”
“So if they … they determine a 20% food loss, (beginning May 22), (it’s) OK to file that. And also from the point of losing food, (and) have they consumed 40%, 50%, 60%, that’s their household. They would know that best. That’s the percentage they will put on the (application). So they don’t have to provide receipts. We’re being guided by the SNAP program,” he said.
San Jose Supermarket employees stock shelves in the snack section at the Maite store on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
