Long wait for stamps

Pauline Landry of New Iberia is a single woman who said she works hard at Lafayette Medical Center to make ends meet.

Losing everything in her refrigerator and freezer in the wake of Hurricane Gustav, Landry said she thought it would help to apply for emergency food stamps, something she said she has never done before.

She said the storm also forced her out of work for four days, thus leaving her behind on bills — especially if she has to redirect money from paying those bills to replacing lost food.

Landry learned food stamp applications would be taken at West End Park beginning Tuesday and made plans with her employer, using vacation time, to spend the day standing in line, she said. She arrived at West End Park around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and got in line with an estimated 500 people.

“I had a feeling they were going to cut off some people at some point,” she said.

“But he assured me they had 400 people filling out applications in the building and they would take another 400 when they were finished continuing until everyone was seen.”

She said around 11 a.m. a National Guard soldier came out of the building and informed everyone else waiting they were not taking any more applications with no explanation.

Visibly upset, Landry just wanted an explanation. She said she cannot take another day off to stand in line, and has, at this point, given up hope of securing any help with emergency food stamps.

Louisa Reddel, community specialist with the state Department of Social Services, said Tuesday was an extremely busy morning. She said capacity was exceeded at several of their temporary sites including those Iberia, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes.

Reddel said the agency ceased taking applicants at the sites for “security reasons.”

“We are making every attempt to get additional staff and security and water and things to make sure people are being taken care of,” Reddel said.

“There is no limit to how many applications that we can take. We are in no way stopping that process. We will be out here for the next seven consecutive days including this weekend.”

She said people who were unable to apply Tuesday should return to the site later in the week to complete their application.

People did return in droves this morning to the West End Park site in New Iberia, some standing in line since the wee hours of the morning.

Almetra Franklin of St. Mary Community Action in Franklin said application sites were overwhelmed Tuesday and were ready to get as many applications filled out as they could today.

“Applicants really need to be patient,” she said.

“The departments are doing the best they can and when you see the number of persons standing out there, you know how hard they are working and the good work they are doing considering the number of people coming through those lines.”

Application sites in St. Martin Parish processed hundreds of applications as well Tuesday, said Maj. Ginny Higgins, public information officer with the St. Martin Parish Sheriffs Office. She said the public should know people who already are receiving food stamps will not qualify for disaster food stamp assistance.

That, perhaps, could cut down on the number of applicants in line.

Higgins said those people already receiving food stamps will see an adjustment made to their Louisiana Purchase cards.