Emergency Food and Shelter Funding
NATIONAL EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER NATIONAL BOARD PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PINAL COUNTY FOOD BANKS AND SHELTERS
Pinal County will be receiving federal funds to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county during 2010.
The allocation is to be made by a National Board that is chaired by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; The Salvation Army; United Jewish Communities and United Way of America. The Local Board was charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.
A Local Board made up of volunteers will determine how the funds awarded to Pinal County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies. The Local Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds available under this phase of the program.
Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2) have an accounting system, 3) practice nondiscrimination, 4) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 5) if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.
The Pinal County Local Board has distributed Emergency Food and Shelter funds previously with the following agencies participating: Against Abuse, Inc. (Casa Grande and Apache Junction shelters), Casa Grande Food Bank, Community Action Human Resources Agency service extension units throughout Pinal County, Pinal Gila Council for Senior Citizens in several communities; St. Vincent de Paul Society of Casa Grande; Salvation Army of Casa Grande; Salvation Army service extension units throughout Pinal County; Seeds of Hope, Inc. (Casa Grande), Catholic Social Services in Eloy, Florence and Coolidge, J.O.Combs Food Bank (rural northern county); Apache Junction Reach Out Food Bank; Community Alliance Against Family Abuse (Apache Junction); St. George’s Food Bank (Apache Junction); Superior Food Bank; Tri-Community Food Bank (Mammoth); Santa Cruz Valley Food Bank (Eloy); and Sharing Hands Food Bank (Coolidge).
Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds should locate an application at www.unitedwayofpc.org, or call United Way of Pinal County, (520) 836-0736, and fax to 520-836-0737. United Way of Pinal County administers the local program under the guidance of the Local Board. The application deadline for this year has passed. Please check again early 2011.
