Cumberland County, N.J., extends Irene food stamp application period

With lines forming at 3 a.m. and thousands of people lining up outside the Board of Social Services building in Vineland yesterday, Cumberland County decided to extend the application deadline for Hurricane Irene food stamps.

Yesterday was to be the last day for the USDA-funded Disaster Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, as the News of Cumberland County reports, but the high turnout pushed the county social services board to instead extend the application period through Friday.

Meanwhile, freeholders from both parties lamented what they said was a lack of communication about the severe need for aid and the chaos outside the Vineland facility.

The D-SNAP applications became available at the social services building Sept. 12, but some in line said they’d just heard of the applications this week.