USDA Provides Nutrition Help to States Hit by Hurricane Harvey

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana is still underway. Among the numerous corporations helping the individuals impacted from this natural disaster the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services are working with officials to ensure that everyone has access to food. Many convenient stores and grocery stores are closed, making food unavailable to the people impacted by the hurricane.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) is allowing participants to purchase hot and ready-to-eat foods with their benefits until September 30th. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program is going to provide two food packages in the month of September to seniors who participate in the program.  All schools located within disaster counties have been waived of the National School Lunch Program meal patterns and meal service time requirements. Schools in these counties also are to provide meals to all students at no charge and they will be reimbursed at the free reimbursement rate until September 30th. Schools located outside of the disaster area are providing food shelters to people in need of food. The USDA is providing these shelters with variety of canned, fresh, frozen, and dry products including fruits, vegetables, meats, and whole grains. The USDA also has been in contact with the Texas WIC State Agency to ensure that participants of WIC clinics that have been damaged or are currently closed are receiving help in obtaining food. Additionally they are also contacting shelters and providing infant formula and foods to both infants and children. They have also been requested to provide foods to the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program so that families can receive food once their able to prepare foods in their homes.


With the help from the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services the people affected by this disaster are able to obtain food and not go hungry. They are targeting populations that are at an increased need of food such as infants, children, pregnant mothers, and the elderly. They are also going to help everyone in need by providing foods once their homes have been restored. This is a great example of the importance of community nutrition support services because in this time of need rules and regulations have been pushed aside to make sure that no one goes hungry.



-KM

USDA providing nutrition help to states hit by hurricane, flooding. (2017, August 31). High Plains/Midwest AG Journal. Retrieved from http://www.hpj.com/ag_news/usda-providing-nutrition-help-to-states-hit-by-hurricane-flooding/article_ca68cf3c-8e80-11e7-b907-87ef94c5c44c.html

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