Many families in Davidson County are without food and nutrition services, also known as food stamps, due to a backlog. Dozens of people have reached out to WXII, saying this is a massive issue and that the delay is making it hard for them to feed their families. Melissa Davis, who lives in Davidson County, is one of those people affected. “I didn’t eat breakfast this morning to make sure that my girls had enough for breakfast,” Davis said. Davis, a mother of two, said it’s been weeks since she applied for food and nutrition services. “I’ve left several messages and I’ve even emailed and still nothing back from them,” Davis said.Another Davidson County resident said she ran into this problem in September, saying, “I went to the office and they told me they were running about six weeks behind. It was another four weeks after waiting the six weeks that I just received a letter the other day asking for more information.” The Davidson County Department of Social Services says the delay they’re facing goes back six weeks. “It’s sad when you know, you qualify for benefits and you’re not able to get them for a while, because of worker shortages and stuff like that,” Davis said.According to Davidson County Department of Social Services, they have five food and nutrition service worker vacancies and six in training. They said it takes six months to a year for training. They said the workers they do have are working overtime and pulling staff from other agencies to help with the backlog. There are more than 13,000 households in Davidson County receiving food and nutrition service benefits. When asked if there’s an estimated time when people will start to receive benefits, the department’s director, Trish Baker, said they’re issuing benefits daily and are screening applications to send out requests for more information.Baker said, “We are attempting to process in date received order.” Baker said they’re working as hard and as quickly as they can. In the meantime, they’re referring people to local food pantries. Baker said those who have applied for benefits can create an account on epass.nc.gov and check their status.
Many families in Davidson County are without food and nutrition services, also known as food stamps, due to a backlog.
Dozens of people have reached out to WXII, saying this is a massive issue and that the delay is making it hard for them to feed their families.
Advertisement
Melissa Davis, who lives in Davidson County, is one of those people affected.
“I didn’t eat breakfast this morning to make sure that my girls had enough for breakfast,” Davis said.
Davis, a mother of two, said it’s been weeks since she applied for food and nutrition services.
“I’ve left several messages and I’ve even emailed and still nothing back from them,” Davis said.
Another Davidson County resident said she ran into this problem in September, saying, “I went to the office and they told me they were running about six weeks behind. It was another four weeks after waiting the six weeks that I just received a letter the other day asking for more information.”
The Davidson County Department of Social Services says the delay they’re facing goes back six weeks.
“It’s sad when you know, you qualify for benefits and you’re not able to get them for a while, because of worker shortages and stuff like that,” Davis said.
According to Davidson County Department of Social Services, they have five food and nutrition service worker vacancies and six in training. They said it takes six months to a year for training. They said the workers they do have are working overtime and pulling staff from other agencies to help with the backlog.
There are more than 13,000 households in Davidson County receiving food and nutrition service benefits.
When asked if there’s an estimated time when people will start to receive benefits, the department’s director, Trish Baker, said they’re issuing benefits daily and are screening applications to send out requests for more information.
Baker said, “We are attempting to process in date received order.”
Baker said they’re working as hard and as quickly as they can. In the meantime, they’re referring people to local food pantries.
Baker said those who have applied for benefits can create an account on epass.nc.gov and check their status.