Social service offices across the Miss-Lou have been busy &045; to say the least.

The numbers are staggering, officials say. In a typical week, the Office of Family Support and Department of Social Services in Ferriday, La., might handle 25 new applications for food vouchers from Concordia Parish residents. Since Friday, when the office opened for disaster victims, it has processed more than 3,000.

The Louisiana Department of Labor office in Ferriday received more than 500 applications for unemployment benefits just on Monday and Tuesday, with more before that and many more likely to come.

&uot;The numbers are astronomical,&uot; Louisiana Department of Labor Regional Director Linda Odom said. &uot;All our heads are spinning.&uot;

In short, staff members have been running a little ragged. But despite large crowds at both offices in Ferriday Wednesday, things were going remarkably smoothly.

In part, that’s because of measures state agencies have taken to streamline application processes &045; the usually lengthy forms for unemployment and food vouchers are now just one page each &045; and additional staff that has been brought in.

New Orleans resident Jason Wyatt was pleased with the way his food voucher was processed. From filling out forms to receiving a benefit card took about three hours, Wyatt said.

&uot;I never thought I would see anything like this or live through anything like this,&uot; Wyatt said. &uot;I’m just glad these people are helping us.&uot;

Pollard said most food voucher applications have been processed within a day. Recipients get a card that can be used like a debit card to buy food at grocery stores or hot food at restaurants (a waiver was issued allowing the card to be used for cooked food).

Odom said her office is doing its best to process unemployment claims as fast as possible, though a specific timeline for people to receive money is impossible to pin down.

&uot;I think there’s a fear of giving a timeline because this is the first time with this many claims,&uot; Odom said. &uot;But

(the national office) hopes to get everything done in two weeks.&uot;

Odom also said her offices are trying to get work for evacuees who need jobs.

&uot;There have been quite a few employers calling looking for people to work,&uot; Odom said.

Regional OFS/DSS Director Sandra Sanders was in Ferriday Wednesday with six extra staffers to supplement the 12 staff members usually on hand, Parish Director Maude Pollard said.

For Pollard, it’s been a long two weeks. Before her office started giving food vouchers to disaster victims, the staff was helping man the Red Cross shelter at the Concordia Parish Community Center. Since the office opened Friday for disaster relief, her staff has been there long hours, around the clock over the weekend and now from 6 a.m. until midnight to move service along.

Things are also busy in Adams County, where the local office of the Employment Security Commission has received 400 unemployment claims since Hurricane Katrina hit.

&uot;We can take claims from either Mississippi or Louisiana through this office,&uot; said Peggy Ballard, manager of the Workforce Investment Network (WIN) Job Center located on Briarwood Road in Natchez.

In addition, Mississippi residents will unemployment claims can file them by calling (888) 844-3577. Louisiana residents can call (800) 818-7811 or (866) 783-5567 or visit the Web site www.laworks.net to file claims or can call (800) LAHELPU for more information.

The Concordia OFS/DSS office is at 27797 Louisiana 15. The Labor Department office is at 105 N. E.E. Wallace Boulevard.

Ballard is set to visit local shelters Wednesday afternoon to share with evacuees those toll-free numbers and related information. In addition, the office has received more than 100 applications from evacuees looking for work since the storm hit, including some skilled workers.

&uot;So we’re asking businesses in the community who have any kinds of job openings to contact us&uot; at (601) 442-0243, Ballard said.

Evacuees can contact the Adams County office of the Mississippi Department of Human Services at (601) 442-1481 for information about food stamps or other DHS programs, according to Janet Mobley of DHS’ Jackson headquarters.

&uot;Also, Louisiana residents can apply for food stamps here if they will be here for any extended length of time,&uot; Mobley said.

The Adams County DHS office is located at 50 E. Franklin St.a