Applying for food stamps shouldn’t be torture

As the estimated 50,000 hurricane victims who queued up at Tropical Park on Sunday to apply for food stamps showed, there surely must be a way to take what was a torturous “in line” process and turn it into an “online” process.

It is the 21st century.

Unfortunately, it is likely too late to do so to accommodate South Floridians who continue to feel the fallout from Hurricane Irma. The storm, which hit on Sept. 10, interrupted livelihoods that have yet to recover; left food to spoil in unpowered refrigerators — costly loss for so many families; still others need additional help because of chronic illness.

The Food for Florida Disaster Food Assistance Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and managed by the state Department of Children & Families. It was created for people in 48 counties in Florida who suffered losses when the hurricane struck.

While the people seeking food stamps likely are not otherwise eligible for them, the sheer numbers of people who showed up not just at Tropical Park, but also at other sites in Greater Miami, further exposes the level of income disparity in this community. It’s well documented how many families are living paycheck to paycheck, or simply living on the edge. They were one disaster away from needing help, and Irma — even though the region dodged a direct hit — was that disaster.

The nine-hour sweltering wait that incredibly patient and good-natured residents endured at Tropical Park, however, only compounded the strain under which they’ve been living. At other sites, disorder forced administrators to shut down the process before anyone could be serviced.

DCF announced that there will be more chances to apply for food stamps. It’s a chance for DCF and the Department of Agriculture to quickly team up and bring some common-sense to a fraught process.

If there is no time to make it one conducted totally online, then how about an electronic sign-up sheet, at the least? People seeking food stamps could be given a window of time to show up at the sites, be processed, then be on their way. This could cut down on disorder — for which there’s no excuse — and long, time-sucking waits. Several people at Tropical Park told Herald reporter Glenn Garvin that they had tried several times, returning over several days, to file an application. That’s the kind of inefficiency that the government agencies must root out. That said, DCF staffers were unfailingly professional and polite, doing their best to help people under stress.

Clearly, administrators were stunned at the turnout. Also clear is the need for a more-effective process by the time the application sites reopen.

This story was originally published October 16, 2017 at 9:19 PM with the headline "Applying for food stamps shouldn’t be torture."