Officials from USDA and Puerto Rico agreed on a household distribution program that will provide about 500,000 boxes, each holding from 9-16 pounds of U.S.-grown food, “directly to families affected by Hurricane Maria.” The distribution, announced over the weekend, was approved through Oct. 27.
In a tweet, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said, “Residents of #PuertoRico and #USVI receiving @USDANurtrition food boxes. Important b/c without power, can’t store food.” In a USDA release, Perdue said that because of extensive damage and power outages, Puerto Rico “has little or no food that can be bought in stores, and we at USDA are working hard with territorial leaders to make sure households get the food they need.”
Puerto Rico issued all of the monthly benefits under its version of food stamps, the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), in the first days of September when Hurricane Irma approached the island. But Irma merely sideswiped the island, while Hurricane Maria hit with full force. Since 1982, Puerto Rico has operated its anti-hunger program under a block grant, with a lower level of benefits to a more targeted group of recipients than on the mainland.
Because of hurricane damage, grocers and participants in the Women, Infants and Children food program has USDA permission to buy foods not ordinarily allowed; for instance, white bread if whole-grain bread is not available. The USDA said that when schools re-open in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it will approve “flexibilities” for the ingredients in school meals and when they are served.
In addition, the USDA said people enrolled in Puerto Rico’s NAP can apply for food stamps where they are living in the United States if they were displaced by the hurricanes. NAP benefits cannot be spent outside of Puerto Rico. USDA said it advised the state agencies that administer food stamps to serve displaced people using regular eligibility rules and to expedite a decision as appropriate. Expedited procedures allow a decision within seven days rather than the typical 30 days.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post said celebrity chef Jose Andres “has become a reliable presence in disaster zones, deploying his Chef Network to help feed thousands of displaced people. Andres was among the first responders in Haiti and Houston, and now he and his crew from World Central Kitchen are on the ground in Puerto Rico, improvising ways to feed countless residents who are stranded without electricity, drinking water and food in the wake of Hurricane Maria.” Andres tweets frequently from Puerto Rico. On Sunday afternoon, he tweeted, “Quick report from #PuertoRico: Just delivered 1,000 meals to Catano! Now to Ponce! We may reach 20,000 today!”