By BRANDY BASNIGHT MANN

Acting director, Tyrrell Social Services

Tyrrell County Department of Social Services has relocated to the Cohoon Center at 1208 U.S. Hwy 64 East in Columbia.

The agency’s office on the corner of Road and Main streets flooded six inches during Tropical Storm Hermine and 1.5 feet during Hurricane Matthew, along with having a tree through the roof. This wasn’t the first time that it has flooded. Staff were also displaced in 2011 due to flooding from Hurricane Irene.

As a result of Hurricane Matthew, the DSS staff has had to work long days and weekends. The DSS staff manned the shelter at Tyrrell Hall around the clock on Oct. 8 and 9.

Then on Saturday, Oct. 22, Disaster Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) began. Staff worked extended hours Saturday and Sunday through Wednesday (Oct. 26) to provide benefits to the residents of Tyrrell County.

Disaster FNS were provided to residents of Tyrrell County that suffered a loss due to Hurricane Matthew. More than 300 people applied for their household to receive Disaster FNS. More than 90 percent of the applications were approved.

Clients currently receiving FNS were not eligible for Disaster FNS. But clients that received regular FNS benefits for October also received a supplement to bring their allotment to the maximum amount for their household. This was to make it equitable for recipients of both regular FNS and Disaster FNS.

Also, clients that received FNS in the month of September received an automatic replacement of 50 percent of their September benefit. In other words, a person that received $100 for September would have also received an additional $50 replacement.

My thanks to the employees at Tyrrell County DSS for all their hard work both before and after the hurricane. The staff has really pulled together and helped the residents of our county during this difficult time. Some of the staff experienced their own hardships from the hurricane, but they put the needs of others before their own. I can’t thank them enough for being an exemplary team.