Apply for Basic Food Assistance at Library Sept. 23

Tessa Downey, Lopez Family Resource Center staff,  will be coming to Orcas to meet with individuals needing assistance filling out the Washington Basic Food Program application, processing them into DSHS.

Downey will be at the Orcas Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 23.

The Basic Food Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Basic Food is available to all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, or political belief.

Income eligibility guidelines are as follows:

• For a Household of  1, the  Gross Monthly Income Limit is $1,805
• For 2 the  Gross Monthly Income Limit — $2,429
• For 3 the Gross Monthly Income Limit — $3,052
• For a Household of 4 the Gross Monthly Income Limit is $4,299

Downey says, “Our goal is to help applicants apply and get accepted. The process can be difficult and I have seen that meeting with individuals and families to answer questions and prepare them for the phone interview have produced higher acceptance rates here on Lopez and last year on Orcas.

Applications are available at the Library, Post Offices in Eastsound and the Orcas Ferry Landing, Home Grown , and the Orcas Market.

Applicants may also apply over the phone to the Lopez Island Family Resource Center: (360) 468-4117.

All applications are confidential.

“The plan is to be at the library on the first and third Wednesday of each Month.  I will be over on September 23^rd to get the ball rolling…[and] will have plenty of applications and would love to talk.”