Residents still struggling with effects of power outage

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Residents who live at the Quad, a subsidized housing complex, are still dealing with the effects of the power outage. Many rely on food stamps to get by and lost all their food because of the power outage. Several said they are relying on family and friends to get by until the first of the month.



Deborah Cannon spent part of her morning throwing out rotten food.

She says it's difficult because she's on a fixed income.

Cannon's neighbor Mary McLien is experiencing a food shortage as well.



"I'm out of milk, eggs. I had bologna in the refrigerator," said McLien.



Residents can be reimbursed through SNAP.



"We just simply ask that if you lost power and need to be reimbursed for your SNAP benefits that you reach out to the local utility and get a letter stating that your power was out," said Marni Lemons of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.



Residents understand there is a process, but McLien says she doesn't think her reimbursement will be big enough to get her through the end of the month.



"I'm suppose to take that letter from the electric company back down to the food stamps, so I have to go through that to see if I'm going to be reimbursed. And that's not counting the other money I added on to my food stamps in order to buy food stamps. $15 ain't [sic] going to feed you for the whole month," said McLien.



We asked how long it would take for food stamp recipients to get reimbursed but they could not give us an answer.