The Utah County Emergency Food and Shelter Program has been chosen to receive an allocation to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in Utah County. The amount received is $190,306.

The selection was made by a national board chaired by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Jewish Federations of North America, The Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide. The local board made up of the American Red Cross, Utah County Housing Authority, the LDS and Catholic churches, and others will determine how the funds are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The funds were appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

The local board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program. The local board seeks to address the following priorities/needs in the Utah County area: shelter homeless singles and families; homeless prevention through rental assistance and rental assistance to place people into housing; food assistance due to hunger caused by economic emergencies; and mortgage assistance to prevent homelessness.

Under the terms of the grant from the national board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary nonprofits or units of government, 2) be eligible to receive federal funds, 3) have an accounting system, 4) practice nondiscrimination, 5) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds must contact Heather Hogue at United Way of Utah County, 148 N. 100 West, Provo, for an application. Applications must be submitted via email to heatherh@unitedwayuc.org by 8 a.m. April 24.

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