Freeholder Curley Declares Food Stamp Emergency

Monmouth County Freeholder John P. Curley has called for an emergency team to be assembled, to sift through backlogged food stamp applications and continue to take in requests.

“I found that food stamp applications and processing were over three months in arrears,” said Curley in a news release. “It is unacceptable in Monmouth County for any of our citizens to go hungry when they are eligible under federal criteria to receive food stamps.”

Curley oversees the county Department of Human Services this year, and has authorized a "quick response team," to handle the distribution of food stamps and quickly provide benefits.

“I have ordered five part-time employees to be employed within the county’s food stamp division to handle inquiries that will meet the needs so our citizenry is not dealing with voicemail and not getting return phone calls,” Curley said.

According to the news release, food stamp requests have increased 144 percent since 2007.

 “This is a sign of the times,” Curley said. “The economic downturn has had a devastating effect on home life in Monmouth County. We are far too wonderful and good a county to allow that to happen.”