2K-plus line for disaster food stamps

Sixty-five-year-old Minda Cullen lined up as early as 4:30am yesterday at DCCA’s Nutritional Assistance Program’s Office in As Lito in the hopes of receiving aid through its Disaster Program.

Twelve hours later, Cullen was in line again, this time to finally claim her family’s $282 disaster food stamp benefit.

More than 2,000 lined up for NAP’s first day processing of disaster and supplemental food stamp program. Only 250 head of households per day was targeted to be serviced. (Frauleine S. Villanueva)

Cullen is just one of the 2,282 heads of households who lined up under sun and rain during the first day of NAP’s Disaster and Supplemental Program. This is according to a 3pm data given by director Walter Macaranas to Saipan Tribune.

However, of that number, only 250 clients under the Disaster Program will be processed for the first day while all the 371 ongoing NAP clients who are under the Supplemental Program were expected to be served.

Those who didn’t make it to the cutoff were given numbers and were told to return on scheduled days when their numbers will be accommodated.

NAP set the applications to run until Aug. 26. But since an estimate of only 1,750 people will be processed that day, Macaranas said they will be setting a different schedule for those in excess of that number.

“What we would do is, anything after 1,750 we’ll just give numbers but we will schedule them as we come close to completing the 1,750 count,” Macaranas said.

He added that they are hoping to redirect workers to assist in the Disaster Program as they finish with the Supplemental Program. Aside from NAP workers, there were also staff from the Northern Marianas College, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, and Department of Public Safety who assisted.

One-day processing

For their first day, Macaranas said he thought the process would be quick and clients will have to wait for only 20 minutes, but it turned out to be a one whole day process for some.

“The process was slower than we thought. The answering from the clients took longer; getting the information from the clients took longer and also not having the information in them,” Macaranas said.

Despite this, Macaranas said the people were cooperative and respectful and have been patient.

“We are trying our best,” he added.

Shelter food distribution concludes

As NAP begins to give disaster food stamps to qualified Saipan residents, the administration announced yesterday that there will be no more food to be distributed to the shelters.

In a statement, press secretary Ivan Blanco announced the development.

“Homeland Security and the Red Cross, in response to the release of nutrition assistance, will be concluding the shelter food distribution so that shelterees can avail of this program and begin the purchase and acquisition of food on the family level,” Blanco said.