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Nutrition Outreach and Education Program offers SNAP application assistance to St. Lawrence County residents

Posted 11/20/18

Life brings extra challenges to people who live with a disability. Putting food on the table should not be one of them. Disabled Americans rank among our most vulnerable populations, often burdened …

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Nutrition Outreach and Education Program offers SNAP application assistance to St. Lawrence County residents

Posted

Life brings extra challenges to people who live with a disability. Putting food on the table should not be one of them.

Disabled Americans rank among our most vulnerable populations, often burdened with enormous medical bills and mental and physical restrictions that make holding down a job more difficult or impossible. Many of these people find themselves having to choose between paying their monthly bills and getting proper nutrition.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help to eliminate that worry. SNAP helps stretch food dollars for low-income individuals and families. Monthly benefits are automatically deposited into participants’ accounts. Using a special debit card, participants can buy food from local stores and farmers’ markets. On a monthly basis, the program helps approximately 3 million people in New York state stretch their food budgets.

Because SNAP dollar are spent locally, the program benefits al community members and the businesses that serve them. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates as much as $9 in economic activity.

Here in St. Lawrence County, free SNAP application assistance is available through the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP). NOEP coordinators provide confidential, one-on-one help to anyone who wishes to apply for SNAP. Services are available in person or over the phone. Home visits can be arranged, too, along with translation services, if needed.

NOEP coordinators provide free pre-screening to determine potential SNAP eligibility, help applicants fill out the SNAP application and to work to ensure it is processed correctly.

If you or someone you know needs help putting food on the table, please contact 1-877-397-9613 ext. 405.

Robert J. Smith

NOEP coordinator, St. Lawrence County