Tuesday 4:30 p.m.
Suddenly our office lobby and phone lines are being flooded with calls from EBT card users regarding the reissuance of Food Stamps for the replacement of food lost due to the power outages caused by the hurricane. People are expecting to be able to obtain a letter from their power supplier validating the loss of power which they would, in turn, take to their county DFACS office to obtain the replacement EBT benefit. This is known as a Form 841. We simply cannot produce those thousands of letters today on demand while we’re still trying to restore power to those still out. But there is a workaround. I’m no authority but I have been in frequent contact with Shawn Brown, the Director for DFACS in Liberty County. Mr. Brown in feverishly working with the directors of the other affected counties and through the State to have a mass declaration which means individuals would not have to wait for a letter from their power company. If you hear of someone who is desperate to get that letter, please tell them it may not be necessary. Best bet is to call or visit your local DFACS office. We welcome you here to our office at any time but would rather you not come for a letter that we can’t deliver and one that may not be needed. I expect you will hear more about this on our local radio and television news stations tonight. Please share this information with your friends. — J. Mark Bolton