Quake-Aid Service for Disabled Begins

People with disabilities who need emergency food stamps because of the Northridge earthquake can avoid the hassle of long lines or inaccessible food stamp disbursement centers by bringing their vouchers to a new service that began Tuesday in Van Nuys.

Provided by the nonprofit Independent Living Center of Southern California, the free service is intended to lessen the burden of getting emergency food stamps for people with a disability on Supplemental Security Income.

“They don’t have to stand in line; they don’t have to go into an inaccessible place; they don’t have to worry about their health problems,” center Director Norma Vescovo said of the new service.

After the earthquake, the county Department of Social Services sent out more than 600,000 letters of authorization for emergency food stamp assistance, Vescovo said.

But Vescovo’s agency started hearing complaints from people with disabilities when they tried to exchange these letters for food stamps at the three disbursement centers in the San Fernando Valley. The Reseda location had no handicapped parking, the North Hollywood center was inaccessible to a person in a wheelchair, and many people felt unsafe at the Pacoima disbursement center, Vescovo said.

All three centers had long lines that presented a hardship for a person with a disability, Vescovo said.

In one case at the Reseda disbursement center, a 64-year-old woman with a nerve disease and diabetes finally gave up when she was told that it would be another five-hour wait. She had already been standing in line 2 1/2 hours.

“It was the most miserable 2 1/2 hours I have ever spent,” said Trudy, who would not give her last name. “There was absolutely no place to sit.”

Vescovo said people such as Trudy can now bring their letters of authorization into the Independent Living Center and pick up their food stamps the next day. The center’s workers will exchange the letters for food stamps at the disbursement centers.

The Independent Living Center of Southern California is at 14354 Haynes St. in Van Nuys. No reservations are required for the food stamp exchange service. The center’s hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.