The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) has awarded Greene County $26,519 in EFSP Phase 41 to supplement emergency food and shelter services in the area, according to Wendy Peay, secretary of the local program.
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program was created in 1983 to supplement the work of local social service organizations within the United States, both private and governmental, to help people in need of emergency assistance. EFSP is a Federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and has been entrusted through the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 “to supplement and expand ongoing efforts to provide shelter, food and supportive services” for homeless and hungry individuals nationwide. The award is based each year on the total number of unemployed in a given jurisdiction as compared to the total number of unemployed in all qualifying jurisdictions.
Congress has appropriated funds to supplement and expand emergency food and shelter programs in Greene County. In the 40 years since EFSP was implemented, Greene County has received a total of $1,772,282 through the program.
The national board is composed of voluntary representatives from various service organizations including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, United Way of America, National Council of the Churches of Christ, United Jewish Communities, and the Salvation Army. United Way Worldwide provides administrative staff and will function as the fiscal agent for the program. The national board is charged with the responsibility of distributing the funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.
Local Board
A local board will determine how the funds awarded to Greene County will be distributed to support the needs in this community for emergency food and shelter services provided by local service organizations. The Phase 40 funding has been designated for expenditures incurred by local service organizations throughout the authorized funding period and funds may be used to reimburse expenditures during the funding period.
Serving with Peay on the local board are; Danny Ricker, executive director of the Opportunity House; Cindy Luttrell, patient advocacy and experience at Greeneville Community Hospital; Susan Price, Greeneville Community Hospital social services; Wesley Holt, Greene Co. Sheriff; Mary Babb Little, ETSU; and Ginger Naseri, of Frontier Health Church Street Pavilion.
Under the terms of the grant from the national board, local governmental or private voluntary organizations chosen to receive funds must: 1) be non-profit; 2) have an accounting system and conduct an annual audit (if awarded more than $50,000); 3) practice non-discrimination; 4) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs and be able to prove expenditures during the funding period; and 5) have a volunteer board if they are a private voluntary organization.
Previous emergency food and shelter funds awarded to Greene County have been distributed by Greeneville/Greene County Community Ministries, Northern Greene County Churches “United in Love” Ministry, Change is Possible (CHIPS), the Tabernacle Mission Soup Kitchen, Voices of Care, and Cedar Creek Presbyterian Church in the past. For additional information regarding the grant or to be considered as a local recipient organization of funds to reimburse expenditures on emergency food and shelter programs, contact the United Way office at 639-9361 as soon as possible.
Letters of request for funding through Phase 41 should be directed to the EFSP Local Board c/o Wendy Peay, 115 Academy Street, Greeneville, TN 37743. Letters must be accompanied by financial statements for the requesting program from the most recently completed fiscal year. Requests to distribute funds must be received by close of business on Monday, April 22, 2024.
