Georgians in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene can pre-register for assistance to feed their families under a temporary program called the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) supported by the Georgia Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). D-SNAP is being run in four phases. Phase 3 will begin on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in east Georgia and will run through Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, excluding Sunday, Nov. 10, and Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. Future phases will include counties declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Individual and Public Assistance at the time of disaster.
D-SNAP provides temporary food assistance in the form of a one-time payment to low-to-moderate income households who lost income or sustained property damage following a disaster. To qualify for D-SNAP, Georgians must:
- Live or work in one of the counties declared by FEMA for Individual and Public Assistance at the time of the disaster
- Not currently receive food assistance through the regular SNAP program
- Have suffered a disaster-related loss to property or income, including incurring expenses related to the disaster
- Provide proof of identity for the head of household and authorized representative (if applicable)
- Meet  financial eligibility requirements
Current SNAP recipients are not eligible for D-SNAP and should not apply.
The D-SNAP sites for Phase 3 will serve Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, and Washington counties and are listed below.
| Site name: | Hours of operation: | Dates: | Address: | Counties served: |
| Southside Elementary School | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Nov. 7-Nov. 14, 2024 (excluding Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, 2024) | 3310 Old Louisville Rd. Augusta, GA 30906 | Burke, Jenkins, Richmond, and Screven |
| Wheeler Road D-SNAP site | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Nov. 7-Nov. 14, 2024 (excluding Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, 2024) | 3674 Wheeler Rd. Augusta, GA 30909 | Columbia, Lincoln, and McDuffie |
| Washington County Recreation Department | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Nov. 7-Nov. 14, 2024 (excluding Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, 2024) | 200 Franklin Haynes Dr. Sandersville, GA 31082 | Glascock, Jefferson, Taliaferro, Warren, and Washington |
Completing Pre-Registration for D-SNAP
Households who live or work in Phase 3 counties may pre-register only during their designated disaster benefit period and may be asked to provide additional proof to determine eligibility. Early pre-registration for Phase 3 households will begin on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, and end on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. Pre-registration will continue through the duration of Phase 3. Paper applications will also be available at D-SNAP sites. Once a phase has passed, residents will no longer be eligible to apply.
The pre-registration form can be found on gateway.ga.gov. Applicants will need to create an account to pre-register. Households may pre-register with just their name, address, and signature at any point during pre-registration by clicking on the “Sign & Submit” button. However, DHS encourages applicants to answer as many questions as they can before submitting the pre-registration form.
Households should be prepared to provide the following information:
- Name, date of birth, and Social Security number (if applicable) for each household member
- Permanent residential address, temporary address, and/or mailing address
- Proof of identification, such as a driver’s license or state-issued ID
- Amount of disaster-related expenses incurred during the disaster period
- Amount of income for each household member
- Amount of household resources, to include cash on hand or savings
Pre-registering for D-SNAP online is only the first step. Households must also complete an interview to determine their eligibility and finalize the D-SNAP application process. Households must be represented by either the head of household or an authorized representative.
Eligibility for the program requires an in-person or telephonic interview. Georgians must complete the in-person interview at a designated D-SNAP site, send an authorized representative to do so, or complete the interview over the phone.
To pre-register and complete a telephonic interview, D-SNAP applicants who live or work in the Phase 3 counties can call 833-DSNAP-GA (833-376-2742) beginning Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. The D-SNAP Virtual Call Center will operate Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To manage call volume and in-person wait times, Phase 3 applicants are asked to call or visit a D-SNAP site location on the below assigned day based on their last name:
- Nov. 7, 2024: A-F
- Nov. 8, 2024: G-L
- Nov. 9, 2024: M-R
- Nov.12, 2024: S-ZÂ
- Nov. 13, 2024: Open to all Phase 3 applicantsÂ
- Nov. 14, 2024: Open to all Phase 3 applicants
The final phase is listed below, and details are subject to change. D-SNAP site locations for this phase will be announced in the coming days. The phased approach was developed based on USDA Food and Nutrition Service recommendations for service delivery readiness and availability, and the administrative requirements to process applications.
- Phase 4:Â Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, through Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, for Appling, Bulloch, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, and Wheeler counties.
