Resources for Georgians affected by Hurricane Helene
The Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Family & Children Services offers programs to help affected Georgians get back on their feet after a disaster.
Some of our programs are specifically for SNAP recipients, including food loss benefits replacement, hot foods waivers and automated mass benefit replacement, while other programs are geared only to citizens who are not SNAP recipients, like Disaster SNAP.
See the relevant announcements below related to flexibilities granted to SNAP customers in the wake of Hurricane Helene:
- Georgia Receives Waiver Approval for Mass Replacement of SNAP Benefits
- Georgia SNAP Customers Approved to Purchase ‘Hot Foods’ in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
- Georgia SNAP Recipients Have More Time to Report Food Lost Due to Hurricane Helene
- SNAP Customers Affected by Hurricane Helene Can Request Replacement Benefits
Hot Foods Waiver Update
Georgians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been temporarily approved to use their benefits to purchase prepared or “hot foods” from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved retailers. SNAP recipients are typically not approved to purchase hot foods, and instead must use their benefits to purchase food that they can prepare at home. The hot food waiver was extended to Nov. 23, 2024; the previous deadline was Nov. 7, 2024.
The prepared food waiver covers recipients who live in the following counties:
Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Franklin, Glascock, Glynn, Habersham, Hancock, Hart, Henry, Irwin, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Madison, McDuffie, McIntosh, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morgan, Monroe, Newton, Oglethorpe, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Rockdale, Screven, Spalding, Stephens, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Turner, Twiggs, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Wheeler, and Worth.
Georgians affected by Hurricane Helene are encouraged to monitor the Georgia DHS website and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and X) for updates, as well as visit the Salvation Army website for a list of feeding locations.