Bahamas - Apply for Emergency Food Assistance (EFA)

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Procedure

Apply In-Person

1. The Emergency Food Assistance (EFA) is available to people who have insufficient or no income to meet their basic necessities.
2. To utilize this service, the person must make a request through an application at the Outreach Centre in their residential boundaries.
3. Applicants seeking Family Island services must apply at the local DOSS (Department of Social Services) sub-office on the island where they reside.
4. Visit the following Details Contact Link
5. After receiving the request, the Social Service Representative (SSR) conducts an interview and a home visit to determine the applicant's eligibility.
6. The SSR prepares a report and provides recommendation about the applicant's eligibility.
7. The SSR contacts the applicant and inform them of their eligibility.

Apply Online

1. For Online request the applicant has to login to the Department of Social Services webpage and submit an application.
2. Click on the below following link for online Application Online Link
3. Complete the application request form with all details.
4. Upload the NIB (National Insurance Bahamas) details and Passport / Voter’s Card.
5. Click the “Submit” tab.
6. After receiving the request, the Social Service Representative (SSR) conducts an interview and a home visit to determine the applicant's eligibility.
7. The SSR prepares a report and provides recommendation about the applicant's eligibility.
8. The SSR contacts the applicant and inform them of their eligibility.

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Required Documents

For Citizens

• Valid Passport
• Valid N.I.B. Card
• Current Pay Slip or Job Letter or Termination Letter
• Birth Certificate/ Affidavit or Valid Passport of child or children under the age of eighteen years, and Proof of Guardianship
• Marriage certificate and similar documents of identification for spouse, as indicated above.
• Divorce decree or legal separation documents to verify status
• Doctor’s letter, if unable to work due to ill health

For Permanent Residents (Non- Citizens)

• Valid Passport
• Proof of Citizenship/Permanent Residency
• Valid Work Permit
• Birth Certificate of child or children under the age of eighteen years, and proof of Guardianship
• Marriage certificate, divorce decree, or legal separation documents, where applicable
• Doctor’s letter, if unable to work due to ill health.

Office Locations & Contacts

Department of Social Services
Sunshine Plaza
Baillou Hill Road
Nassau
New Providence
The Bahamas
P.O. Box N-1545
Tel: (242) 604-4200 
Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Community Support Services Division Outreach Centres four (4) locations in New Providence:

Fox Hill Centre
Davis Building, Bernard Road
Nassau
New Providence
The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 364-2200

Pitt Road Centre
V.B. Munnings Building, Pitt Road
Nassau
New Providence
The Bahamas
Tel; (242) 326-1850
Robinson Road Centre
Alexander House, Robinson Road
Nassau

New Providence
The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 397-2524

Wulff Road Centre
Sunshine Plaza, Baillou Hill Road (temporary location)
Nassau
New Providence
The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 604-4200
Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Family Island applicants may apply for services at the local DOSS sub-office on the island where they are domiciled or they may apply online. The SSR will contact them in order to implement steps to assess their eligibility for this service.
Contact Link

Eligibility

• Persons earning minimum wage or lower.
• Bahamian citizen or permanent resident.
• Over the age of 18.
• The applicant must be the Head of the Household.

Fees

No processing fee for this service.

Validity

If the necessity arises, the applicant may only apply within a three (3) month period.

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links.

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

On the same day that the request is received, it is evaluated and a suggestion is made.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since january 1908.

Required Information

• Island
• Street
• Subdivision/Settlement
• Phone
• Email
• Household Compensation of each Member and details (add additional members)
• Relationship to the Household Head
• Date of Birth
• First Name /Last Name
• NIB No.
• Weather the member has got any disability Allowance

Need for the Document

This service provides food vouchers that can be redeemable at certain supermarkets in New Providence and the Family Islands. The Vouchers are pre-approved by the Public Treasury as vendor-ready.

Information which might help

Website Link

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Place some external links which might help.

Others

More information which might help people.