Emergency food assistance available for households affected by Desert Willow Complex Fire
SANTA FE — Valencia County residents who lost food due to the Desert Willow Complex Fire have 10 days remaining to request emergency replacement of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The deadline for reporting food losses is Monday, July 21.
The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) is providing this emergency support to help families recover from fire-related damages. Replacement benefits are available for SNAP households in ZIP codes 87031.
“Our priority is to support those affected by the fires in Valencia County,” said Niki Kozlowski, Income Support Division Director. “Replacing lost and damaged food is one of the ways we are helping impacted residents.”
How to report food loss:
Option 1: Call
- Phone: (800) 283-4465
- Hours: 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Option 2: Visit in person
- Location: 100 S. 5th Street, 2nd Floor, Belen, NM 87002.
- Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Who Qualifies
To receive replacement benefits, households must:
- Be current SNAP recipients.
- Live in affected ZIP codes (87031).
- Report the food loss verbally or in writing by July 21.
No documentation of specific food items is required — verbal reports are accepted.
Additionally, SNAP customers statewide can replace lost or damaged EBT cards through:
- FIS EBT Edge app (download from the app store).
- Website: www.ebtedge.com
- Phone: 1-800-843-8303.
- Local HCA office.
This measure covers approximately 10,341 New Mexicans and was made possible through Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive order declaring a state of emergency in Valencia County due to the Desert Willow Complex Fire. These actions are part of the state’s ongoing efforts to assist families recovering from fire-related damage. The HCA is committed to ensuring those affected have access to available resources during this challenging time.
The HCA urges eligible households not to delay—replacement benefits can be processed quickly, but only if reported before the July 21 deadline.
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We talk, interpret and smile in all languages. We provide written information to our customers in both English and Spanish and interpretation services are available in 58 languages through our provider, CTS Language Link. For our hearing, and speech impaired customers, we utilize Relay New Mexico, a free 24-hour service that ensures equal communication access via the telephone to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled.