FEMA Announces Emergency Food and Shelter Programs Funding for North Carolina

By Fran Farrer

ATLANTA – North Carolina will receive $9.3 million from FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) to assist nonprofits that are helping residents who are experiencing hunger and homelessness. The money allocated to North Carolina combines the EFSP’s annual funding with funds designated for food and shelter support under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

Seventy-four of North Carolina counties received the Emergency Food funding; fortunately, all of the 5 counties that The County News serves were part of the funds distribution.

North Carolina jurisdictions will receive $3,750,088 for FY 2019 and $5,693,109 from the CARES Act. A local EFSP board is responsible for awarding the grant funds to local social service organizations, both nonprofit and governmental, that can best address the identified needs of the community.

“This funding supports local organizations helping North Carolina’s hungry and homeless during the coronavirus pandemic and other disasters,” said FEMA Regional Administrator Gracia Szczech. “It can supplement programs offering meals, groceries or food boxes, residential shelters, rent payments or utilities.

With the FY 2019 and CARES Act funding, and the FY 2020 funding of $125 million that will be allocated to jurisdictions later this year, the total aid disbursed in the EFSP’s38-year history will be more than $5 billion.

Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program distribution in our counties have increased since 2019: Cabarrus 2019 $81, 960, and 2020 $116,851; Catawba 2019 $60,394, and 2020 $86,109; Iredell 2019 $68,941, and $98,289; Mecklenburg 2019 $478,258, and 2020 $681,859, and Rowan County 2019 $57,734, and 2020 $81,456.