With More Than 46,000 Households Served in 1st Week, DCFS Prepares for Week 2 in some of the Most Populous Parishes in Storm-Impacted Area

BATON ROUGE - After providing $18.6 million in Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) benefits to 46,767 households in the first week of its DSNAP operation, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is gearing up for an active second week.

Week two of DSNAP operations will include seven sites in Acadia, Ascension, East Baton Rouge and Lafayette parishes -- and because of their metropolitan locations, officials are expecting to serve several thousands of residents daily at their largest sites.

The following DSNAP sites will open Monday, August 29, through Saturday, September 3, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

• Acadia Parish
  • City of Rayne Civic Center, 300 Frog Festival Drive, Rayne
• Ascension Parish
  • Lamar Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Avenue, Gonzales
• East Baton Rouge Parish
  • Council on Aging Capital City Event Center, 6955 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge
  • F. G. Clark Activity Center, 798 Harding Blvd, Baton Rouge
  • Gloryland Baptist Church, 6745 Greenwell Springs Road, Baton Rouge
  • Louisiana Leadership Institute, 5763 Hooper Road, Baton Rouge
• Lafayette Parish
  • Blackham Coliseum, 2330 Johnston Street, Lafayette

To minimize wait times, applicants and anyone who pre-registered for benefits must go to the DSNAP location on the day indicated by the first letter of their last name.

• Monday, August 29: A-D
• Tuesday, August 30: E-K
• Wednesday, August 31: L-R
• Thursday, September 1: S-Z
• Friday, September 2: A-K applicants unable to make prior scheduled day
• Saturday, September 3: L-Z applicants unable to make prior scheduled day

Residents are encouraged to preregister for DSNAP online at www.dcfs.la.gov/preregister or by phone at 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578) before visiting a DSNAP location. Pre-registration is not a DSNAP application, but helps to expedite the time spent at a DSNAP site.

DSNAP is only for eligible residents in designated areas who have been impacted by the flood, but who are NOT receiving SNAP benefits. SNAP recipients should NOT visit a DSNAP site.

DSNAP eligibility is not based solely on income. Eligibility is determined by a household's income that has been or is expected to be received from August 10 through September 8, available cash on hand, such as balances in checking and savings accounts, and disaster related expenses paid from August 10 through September 8.

The third phase of DSNAP is set to begin on Tuesday, September 6th for the following locations: Evangeline (only ZIP codes 70515, 70524, 70535, 70554, 70576, and 70586), Iberville, Jefferson Davis, St. Martin, St. Tammany (only ZIP codes 70435 and 70437), Washington (only ZIP codes 70431, 70438, and 70450) and West Feliciana parishes.

For more information about DSNAP, visit www.dcfs.la.gov/dsnap.

Frequently Asked Questions About DSNAP