An additional $21,525 have been designated for Richmond County from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as part of its Emergency Food and Shelter Program (E.F.S.P.) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (A.R.R.A.).
This in addition to a $45,241 allocation which E.F.S.P. Board Chair Michelle Parrish said was $8,800 more than it received in the 2008 fiscal year.
“The Emergency Food and Shelter Board sends me specific instructions about how the money can be spent,” Parrish said. “They may send us instructions to re-advertise and accept applications for these funds ... but they do send us instructions to make sure the funds are spent properly.”
She said the additional $8,800 in regular appropriations were based on a formula that factored in unemployment, “and the general need in this community.”
This funding comes as part of a $100 million parcel of grants from F.E.M.A., on top of its $200 million annual fiscal year 2009 appropriation announced in December.
“These A.R.R.A. funds will provide immediate relief to communities impacted by unemployment and poverty,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Neapolitano said in a Thursday release accompanying the funding. “The community organizations receiving this money not only support Americans in need, but also play a crucial role in helping to get our economy back on track and families back on their feet.”
Congressman Larry Kissell also sent out an accompanying release.
“The safety of our communities must always be a priority,” Kissell said. “The folks and programs responding to disasters deserve every available dollar to better help them protect and secure the citizens of Richmond County.”
He also said assisting emergency response systems was one of the reasons he voted for the A.R.R.A.
Parrish outlined the allocation of funding from the regular appropriations of $45,241.
Our Daily Bread received $6,000, New Horizons Life and Family Services received $5,000, Southern Mission Ministries received $1,200, Back Pack Pals received $15,000, Samaritan Colony received $10,000, Richmond County Mental Health Society received $5,136 and Outreach For Jesus - Unlimited received $2,000.
The remaining $905 was used for administrative expenses.
The National E.F.S.P. Board is chaired by F.E.M.A., and consists of representatives from the American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, U.S.A.; National Council of Churches of Christ In the U.S.A.; The Salvation Army; United Jewish Communities and the United Way of America.
The local board has 11 members, with Parrish serving as the board’s chair.
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