Approximately 50,000 Hoosier households in 20 Indiana counties have received disaster food stamps, the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) reports. After a month of outreach, the effort concluded this past Saturday, with Hoosiers completing nearly 22,000 FEMA applications as well.
 
"Thanks to the endless hours of work put in by FSSA staff and the support from local officials and Governor Daniels, FSSA was able to assist over 50,000 households in the past month," said FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob. "The effort put forth from all players involved has been tremendous and the patience and understanding from applicants really demonstrated what it means to be a Hoosier."
 
Coordination by Governor Daniels' new Office of Disaster Recovery enabled FSSA to join other state agencies for outreach. Over 400 FSSA employees staffed each office during extended hours, Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Staff from the Department of Workforce Development, the Department of Insurance, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Technology, the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Housing Authority, the State Department of Health, and the Department of Homeland Security joined FSSA at various locations around the state. In addition, FEMA representatives were available to help clients apply for direct assistance.
 
The Disaster Food Stamp Program (DFSP) is administered by the Federal Government's U.S. Department of Agriculture and allows those who may not normally be eligible for food stamps to receive benefits. Families had seven days to apply at many of the Division of Family Resources offices in the region, as well as the several "One-Stop-Shops" that operated in some counties. Those interested in FEMA assistance may still apply at www.FEMA.org or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.
 
For more information on the Office of Disaster Recovery, go to: http://www.in.gov/gov/odr.htm.
 
For more information on FSSA, go to: www.in.gov/fssa.

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