[StBernard] Food stamp application sites overwhelmed, closed

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Tue Sep 9 14:01:44 EDT 2008


Parishes -one after the other- are closing the application centers today
for post-Gustav food stamps.

Thousands of people started showing up before dawn.

"Please bare with us," said Louisiana State Police Trooper Louis Calato as
they closed the St. Tammany Parish site. "They have reached their
maximum."

Calato say they will reopen the Castine Center, 63350 Pelican Blvd.
Mandeville, at 8:00am. "We are advising everyone please do not come out
early," he told WWL First News. He says that's because it causes big
traffic trouble on Highway 190 and makes it hard to get kids to school on
time.

In Jefferson Parish officials issued a news release about Johnny Jacobs
Playground, 5851 5th Street in Marrero.

"The overwhelming response has force this site to no longer take
applications," the release said. "Currently the site is out of
applications and can no longer process any further applicants. Jefferson
Parish urges all citizens to refrain from going to the site at this time
because they are over-booked and are unable to process any more applicants
today. The parish will notify the public through the media when and where
the State will resume accepting applications."

They ran into trouble in Plaquemines parish as well at St. Patrick's
Family Life Center, 28698 Hwy. 23, Port Sulphur.

"They have all the people they can accommodate in one day. So, we're
going to have to try to come up with a new game plan tomorrow," said
Sheriff's Major John Marie. "There's not enough people from D.S.S. to
handle that."

State officials say all the sites will be re-open each day for seven
consecutive days and if you qualify, you get the same benefits whenever
you apply.

Click here to see a full list of sites and qualification rules>
http://dss.state.la.us/departments/dss/Disaster_Food_Stamp_Program_.html





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