Thousands line up to get food assistance in affected counties
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The search for help led thousands of people to Independence Mall in Wilmington Friday. They were not shopping, of course, but applying for disaster food stamps and other aid.
Residents of counties affected by Hurricane Florence can now get some help when it comes to food.
People in need can apply for disaster food stamps until October 6.
“My wife’s the only income that we have. And I have three kids. A 5, 6, and a 10 year old. So food would be very important right now,” said Larry Tipper, a resident of New Hanover County.
The one-time assistance program is meant to replace food lost in Hurricane Florence.
Long lines formed in front of the old Sears store at Independence Mall in Wilmington Friday morning.
“Once you kind of get your application, we see it taking less than 15 minutes to get through that process. So in the first hour, we did about 270 families,” said Kate Murphy, a spokeswoman for New Hanover County.
If approved, you get an EBT card worth about $190, or about $640 for a family of four.
“I haven’t been working since September 10th. I’m a nanny to a local teacher, I keep her son, but they haven’t been in school so she hasn’t needed me, so I haven’t been working. And I needed to get some help somewhere,” said New Hanover County resident Peggy George.
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