Assistance available for needy hurt by Ike

An Oct. 17 deadline looms to apply for storm assistance.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Department of Job and Family Services has assisted almost 4,000 food stamp customers who lost food in their refrigerators and freezers due to electric power outages caused by high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ike.

The department fulfilled 3,953 requests for such assistance from people whose electricity was off for at least four hours due to the Sept. 14 winds, said Judee L. Genetin, the local JFS acting director. The deadline to apply for food stamps to replace the lost food was Thursday.

However, two other storm-related assistance programs have an Oct. 17 deadline.

Help is available to homeowners with storm-related losses or property damage under the federally-funded Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. Applicants for this program, for which 59 applications have been received here to date, must have dependent children under age 19 and meet income guidelines.

Another federally-funded program, for which 30 applications have been filed here so far, helps elderly and disabled homeowners who have suffered storm-related loss or damage.

Recipients must be at least 55 years old and without minor children and must receive payments from federal or state disability programs, black lung benefits or railroad retirement disability.

For more information, contact the Mahoning County Department of Job and Family Services, 345 Oak Hill Ave.