Flagler, Volusia County residents can apply for food assistance following Hurricane Milton

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Many neighbors across Volusia and Flagler counties are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

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To help ease the burden, the Department of Children and Families is bringing the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - DSNAP - closer to the community.

“The water came in my living room; it wetted up all of my carpet, my rugs, and my living room,” said Bernice Oats, a Daytona Beach resident whose home was flooded during the storm. “It was pretty damaged. I just thank God we were not hurt. We have our lives, and I thank God for that.”

Read: American Red Cross: Help people affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene

Milton left a path of destruction - parts of Volusia County remained underwater and without power for days.

“We lost lots of food and were scared to death. We evacuated and went to the Holiday Inn,” said Shirley Beaudin, a Volusia County resident. “I live in a mobile home park, and it was severely flooded.”

Now, residents of Volusia and Flagler counties are getting some relief. On Monday, they flocked to the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach to join the DSNAP program.

Read: Federal officials issue warning over rise in fake hurricane help scams

The initiative brings food assistance to those who don’t qualify for the regular SNAP benefits.

“My lights went off, and we lost a pretty good amount of food. But I came here today, and they are taking care of it,” said AJ Graham, who lives in Volusia County.

The Ocean Center is just one of the six sites across the state. The plan is to bring food assistance to as many Floridians as possible.

Read: AI is being used to send some households impacted by Helene and Milton $1,000 cash relief payments

“I’m going to go home, relax for a little while, and then later on, I’m going to go out and buy some food,” said Oats.

The event continues until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and registration is required.

More information on how to register can be found here.

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