Residents impacted by wildfires could get help with food

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Thousands of New Mexico residents who have been impacted by wildfires this spring may be eligible for temporary food assistance.

The state Human Services Department said applications are being accepted for a week, starting Tuesday, at four locations around the state. Those are Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Taos and Ruidoso.

The state successfully requested approval for the federal Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for about 27,500 residents in certain zip codes in Colfax, Lincoln, San Miguel, Mora and Valencia counties, KOAT-TV reported.

“We worked with federal partners to ensure that we issued these benefits as quickly as possible,” said Angela Medrano, deputy secretary for the Human Services Department.

Residents are eligible for the benefits if they’ve lost income because of the wildfires, or their home or belongings were destroyed. They also can apply if they have disaster-related expenses that haven’t been reimbursed.

Karmela Martinez, director of the Income Support Division, said people who worked in the impacted areas but live elsewhere also could be eligible.