Wildfire Resources

If you receive SNAP benefits and lost food because of power outages, a fire, or storm, you may be able to get some SNAP benefits back to replace your lost food.

SNAP recipients in 20 Oregon counties will have an extended period of time until October 19th to report food loss and get replacement benefits. These counties are: Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill counties.

To request replacement SNAP benefits, you can:

• Call Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) to report lost food by October 19th. Find your local ODHS office (anyone can be served by any office in Oregon).
  • You will be asked to complete a food loss form documenting the food you lost by October 7th.

Or

• • Submit a signed and dated written request that includes how the food was destroyed, the date it happened, the food items destroyed, and the amount paid for each item.
• You can also fill out the food loss form and submit it directly to DHS by mail, in-person or email without needing to call. This form needs to be submitted by October 19th.

More information can be found on the ODHS website.

Did you lose your EBT card when evacuating or was it destroyed in a fire?

If a SNAP recipient has lost their EBT card due to evacuating or their card has been destroyed in a fire, they are able to get a replacement card.

Typically card replacement happens through the ODHS card replacement hotline (1-855-328-6715, M-F 8:30am-4:30pm), however for cards destroyed in a fire or a delay in receiving an EBT card would impact a household’s health and safety, replacement cards can be given by a ODHS branch office. Find your local ODHS office here (anyone can be served by any office in Oregon).

A material with this information is available here.

Have you been impacted by the wildfires and live in Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion counties? You may be eligible for temporary disaster food benefits (known as Disaster SNAP, or D-SNAP).

You can apply for D-SNAP until October 28th.

It is important to note that D-SNAP is NOT SNAP benefits. D-SNAP is not for those already enrolled in SNAP. What D-SNAP provides is an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT card loaded with the maximum amount of SNAP benefits for a month when food is lost because of a disaster.

Some other differences to know:

• You can apply for D-SNAP without a social security card. Utilization of D-SNAP does not count in a public charge test
• The income requirements are different for D-SNAP. Income guidelines are higher for D-SNAP, so apply even if you may not have been eligible for SNAP before.
• You only have to report income from September 7 to Oct 6.

How to Apply for D-SNAP

• The application for D-SNAP is available here.
• The application period is open from October 17-28.
• The application is a fillable pdf form that you will fill out and then save by clicking the Submit Form button. Once you have saved the completed application you will need to send it to [email protected] to finish the application process.
• Once this has been received , an eligibility worker will call you to complete your application. It is important to be available to answer the call from the eligibility worker. Calls from DHS often come up as “Private Number” on your phone.
• To apply over the phone, call 2-1-1.

For assistance with the online application, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the Aging and Disability Resource Connection at 1-855-ORE-ADRC.

School districts and community organizations across the state are still serving meals to children ages 1-18. There is a chance due to poor air quality and fire conditions, that some areas may temporarily pause or alter the way meals are being served. The best way to find out up-to-date information is to contact your local school district to see what has changed around meals in your community due to the fires. If your school district has temporarily paused it’s meal service, children are able to access meals at neighboring school districts or community sites. Eligibility to receive a meal through the summer meal program is not tied to school or school district enrollment.

Our partners at Oregon Law Center are providing legal help to those affected by the wildfires.

They have created materials for common issues around wildfire relief, including information for renters (English, Spanish), a sample tenant letter (English, Spanish), and information for ID replacement (English, Spanish).

If you need these services, contact your local OLC office. Find your local office here.

• Oregon Food Bank will be keeping their Find Food page updated as pantries’ emergency hours and operations change, as well as  providing extra information on emergency food during and following wildfires here.