Sixteen agencies have been recommended for Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Task Force for the Homeless is administering the EFSP Local Board for the first time this year to allocate and monitor these funds, previously managed by United Way of Sonoma-Mendocino-Lake. The Task Force is using two percent of the $169,699 allocation ($3394) for this work. This year’s overall allocation is 25% more than last year, though requests totaled 101% more. Program funds should be available within about a month to:
California Human Development Corporation Community Services: $ 5,625 Catholic Charities Family Support Center $ 25,000 Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) Petaluma Kitchen $ 22,000 Community Action Partnership Sloan House Women’s Emergency Shelter $ 6,680 Community Support Homeless Network - Outreach $ 3,000 Council on Aging Meals On Wheels Breakfast Program $ 35,000 Hope4theHomeless/Hope Chapel - Homeless Services $ 2,000 The Living Room - Food and Nutrition Program $ 6,000 Redwood Empire Food Bank $ 27,000 Redwood Gospel Mission - Homeless Services Food & Shelter $ 8,000 River Child Care Services $ 2,500 Social Advocates for Youth - Coffee House Shelter for Teens $ 1,250 SCAYD - NOAH Pantry $ 3,500 Unitarian Universalist Congregation - Saturday Breakfast $ 3,500 West County Community Services - Emergency Services $ 12,000 YWCA Safe House Shelter Program $ 3,250
The Continuum of Care Plan development and funding recommendations are also in full swing to hopefully secure almost $2 Million in federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance funds for transitional and permanent housing and services countywide. United Way is also visiting agency sites and assessing proposals for Resolving Crisis in the areas of hunger and homelessness. Funding season also brings proposals and hearings for City and County Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds, County Human Services Commission funds, the Federal Emergency Shelter Grant and Emergency Housing Assistance Programs through the State, and various federal and private sources. It’s admirable and noteworthy that service providers stay so focused on clients and program goals this time of year, as they piece together the complex funding stream puzzle that allows them to continue to make our community more whole.