The Iowa Department of Human Services announced Story County residents impacted by the derecho may be eligible to receive food assistance benefits after power outages, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 15-19 at the Iowa State University Parking Building.

The funding is through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), qualifying residents would receive food dollars on an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, according to the City of Ames Press Release.

The card can be used for food purchases at any Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program authorized retailer and will be equivalent to the maximum amount of food assistance benefits depending on household size.

Benefits can be used for purchases at farmer’s markets and certain online retailers. Anyone who has already received food assistance through the D-SNAP in August or September will not be eligible because the maximum allotment was already distributed to those households due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Households should review eligibility criteria for application because D-SNAP differs from Food Assistances, according to the release. The first hour of operation is reserved for the elderly and individuals with the disabilities application process. Applicants must apply in person to receive benefits.

Iowa State University also has SHOP, an on-campus food pantry in Beyer Hall for students facing hunger or food insecurities. For additional information regarding D-SNAP, visit Iowa Department of Human Services website.