Thousands of hurricane Katrina victims who were not currently receiving food assistance applied for benefits in Washington, Sumter, Choctaw and Mobile counties. Over 52,000 applications were submitted in Mobile County alone.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which sets the regulations for the food stamp program, authorized Washington, Choctaw, and Sumter and Mobile counties to accept applications for food assistance from individuals who sustained storm-related loss of income and other financial resources.
As of Wednesday, September 28, 2005, the Department of Human Resources has approved more than $8 million in benefits and expects to approve close to $20 million when all applications have been processed.
Qualified applicants are receiving their food stamp benefits via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.