Monday, Nov. 26, 2018

News 12 @ 6 o’clock / NBC 26 at 7

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- November the 5th, a looming deadline that has come and gone. Camethia Jenkins is still without food stamps.

"I have four children and it's hard trying to feed them, getting the food, getting to food banks, I don't have no transportation to get there, it's hard, it's really hard," she says.

On the fifth of each month, Camethia has received her benefits, except for this time.

"I was a supposed to get them November the 5th, it's been 20 days and they talking about a paper, I turned the paper in on the 7th and they told me she had until the 19th to get the paper and the 19th I came and I still ain't got my stamps."

Sadly, she is not alone.

Shekia Johnson tells News 12 she was supposed to get her food stamps on the 21st of this month. She’s frustrated and says she continues to wait. "I actually work and I have to make time to come down here and just sit and wait wait wait all day."

DFACS says they are late on getting food stamps to 240 families in Richmond County but say they processed 143 applications in the last week. Still many are struggling to feed their children.

“I had to ask people for food, ask my sister for food and she gave me food to feed my kids and stuff like that."

As December approaches, families wonder if their benefits will be ready.

“It's about to be a whole new month, December the 5th right around the corner that's next week, it'll be time to get them again."

Getting rid of the backlog hangs in question. DFACS says they are working overtime to catch up. They say if the paperwork was turned in by the 15th, families should be getting their benefits by the end of the month. With only 4 days left in November, we could see more requests processed.