The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced where residents in Acadia, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, and Lafayette parishes can finalize applications for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) benefits.

DSNAP operations will begin Monday, August 29, through Saturday, September 3, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the following parishes:

  • 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.

Accommodations will be made for the elderly and those with disabilities to reduce on-site wait times, but we strongly encourage these residents to name an Authorized Representative to visit a DSNAP site and complete an application on their behalf.

Authorized Representatives must bring a picture ID and the picture ID of the applicant/head of household they represent. They will also need a signed statement from the applicant/head of household or an adult household member authorizing them as a representative who can apply on their household's behalf.

DNSAP 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.

In the first three days of the first phase, DCFS served 22,964 households spanning eight parishes and approved $9.4 million in disaster benefits.

The third phase of DSNAP is set to begin on Tuesday, September 6th for all other DSNAP approved parishes.

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

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