Agencies may now apply for emergency food/shelter funds

More than $24,000 in federal funding has been designated for use by nonprofit organizations in Cape Girardeau County to assist with emergency food and shelter programs in the county.

According to a news release issued Wednesday by the United Way of Southeast Missouri, funding in the amount of $24,610 has been made available through the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of Phase 38 of the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program.

The allocation decision was made by a board chaired by the FEMA consisting of representatives of the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the Jewish Federation of North America, The Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide.

Local boards are, in turn, responsible for distributing funds to help expand capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas throughout the nation.

A local board comprised of representatives of various nonprofit agencies will determine how the funds awarded to Cape Girardeau County are to be distributed among emergency food and shelter programs offered through area service agencies. Agencies and organizations represented on the board include the United Way of Southeast Missouri, Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri, the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Area Agency on Aging, the Safe House for Women, The Salvation Army, local food pantries and the Cape Girardeau County Commission.

Agencies interested in applying for some of the grant funds must:

• Be not-for-profit or government organizations.
• Be eligible to receive federal funds.
• Use generally accepted accounting principles.
• Practice nondiscrimination.
• Have demonstrated the capability to delivery emergency food and/or shelter.

In addition, if an applicant agency is a private volunteer organization, it must have an unpaid board of directors.

Application for funding consideration must be received by Jan. 13. Applications and additional details about the program are available by contacting Donna Noe at the United Way of Southeast Missouri, donna.noe@unitedwayofsemo.org.

Previous recipients of federal emergency food and shelter funding in Cape Girardeau County through this program have included The Salvation Army, Old St. Vincent's/St. Mary's Catholic Social Ministries, the Safe House for Women, Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri and the East Missouri Action Agency.