Far from the flood-ravaged neighborhoods of south Texas sits New Hope Animal Shelter in Henderson.

Another stop along the way for dogs searching for a forever home…but a step off the beaten path for some.

Paula Hawkins and her staff are helping a shelter in Abilene, Texas overwhelmed with animals displaced by Hurricane Harvey.

“These shelters already had animals at their place, so they’re asking us to reach out and help take all those animals to make room for the flood victims’ pets,” says Hawkins.

Of the 10 dogs that came in from the Abilene shelter, three have already been adopted out, and the staff at New Hope says they’ll soon be opening their door to more in the coming weeks.

“They’re processing so many homeless animals that’ve been rescued from the flood,” Hawkins said.

It’s a lot of extra work, but the staff at New Hope says they’re prepared to take care of every dog and cat that comes in to their shelter.

“We have our own dogs and cats here that are in trouble sometimes so we’re not going to push them away,” Hawkins said. “We’re going to continue to serve them and get our dogs adopted the same way because they’re just as important.”

In the meantime, the dogs that will soon be coming to Henderson will be looking forward to a second chance they might not otherwise have gotten if they hadn’t been rescued hundreds of miles away.

A website will soon be set up with a database to help those dogs finish a long, scary, and uncertain journey.

“They want to keep them as close to home as possible so they can be reunited with their owners,” says Hawkins.

For information on how to volunteer with New Hope or if you’re interested in adopting, CLICK HERE.

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EDITOR’S FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City County Observer or our advertisers.

USDA Eases WIC Food Package Rules for Texas Participants Affected by Harvey

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2017 — Families participating in USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in hurricane-stricken Texas will have an easier time finding WIC-approved foods for mothers and their children thanks to food-package flexibilities approved Sunday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said that USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved the request from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission because the full range of eggs, bread and fluid milk products are in short supply in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

“USDA is committed to ensuring that people touched by this disaster get the vital nutrition they need – in particular the women and children participating in the WIC program,” Perdue said. “Helping victims of Hurricane Harvey is a top priority for President Trump, and we will continue working to expedite access to programs which provide food for the vulnerable. We’re with you, Texas.”

Pregnant, post-partum and nursing women and children participating in WIC are given a personal food “prescription” designed to meet their specific nutritional needs. Under normal circumstances, they can use their food benefits at authorized retailers to purchase only specific WIC food items. The flexibilities approved this past weekend and lasting through September 24, will expand the variety of certain WIC products allowed to be purchased based on what is available on store shelves.

Here are the details:

• Eggs. Participants will be allowed to purchase a variety of types of eggs in various pack sizes.
• Bread. Participants will be allowed to purchase a variety of bread products in various sizes that are readily available at the retailer.  Retailers will be assisting participants in making their selections.
• Fluid Milk. Participants over the age of one year will be allowed to substitute milk of any available fat content and type despite the designation of their food package. Flavored milk will not be considered.

FNS continues to provide critical support for people affected by Hurricane Harvey and has approved the flexibilities to ensure that WIC participants continue to receive nutritional support throughout the disaster. WIC provides supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health and other social services for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

If you lost WIC food or formula, lost a WIC card, or need to find an open WIC clinic, call Texas WIC at 1-(800) 942-3678 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The WIC flexibilities approved Sunday are the latest in an ongoing series of USDA actions taken to help Texans cope with the storm and its aftermath that also include a waiver to allow all disaster-affected schools to provide meals to all students at no charge and be reimbursed at the free reimbursement rate through September 30.

In addition, local disaster organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Southern Baptist Men continue to utilize USDA Foods to serve hot meals in congregate shelters. Individuals seeking more information about this and other available aid should dial 2-1-1 (for callers from Texas) or 1-(877) 541-7905. For more information about Texas SNAP, visit YourTexasBenefits.com.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which together comprise America’s nutrition safety net. For more information on FNS assistance during times of disaster, visit www.fns.usda.gov/disaster.