Champaign, IL…U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson (IL-15) announced today that Illinois’ 15th District will be receiving $344,726 in federal grant money from the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program.
The following counties are receiving funds:
Champaign County $62,809 McLean County $51,328
Coles County $27,970 Macon County $72,333
Crawford County $12,159 Saline County $15,641
Cumberland County $7,472 Vermilion County $61,510
DeWitt County $9,411 Wabash County $7,755
Lawrence County $9,110 White County $7,228
Additional counties may be selected at a later date by the EFS State Set-Aside Committee. The EFS National Board, chaired by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and composed of representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; United Jewish Communities; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; The Salvation Army; and United Way of America, provides supplemental funding to shelters, soup kitchens, and food banks. One-month awards for rent, mortgage, and utility assistance are also available. The funds are used to help individuals and families with non-disaster, temporary emergency needs.
In each funded jurisdiction, a Local Board advertises the availability of the funds, establishes local priorities, selects local non-profit and government agencies to receive supplemental funding, and monitors program compliance. The Local Board’s composition mirrors the EFS Program National Board, with a local government official replacing FEMA and board members voting to select their chair.
The EFS Program has been in existence since 1983 and was authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. The EFS Program has distributed more than $2.65 billion to communities nationwide, and has accounted for millions of additional meals and nights of shelter to the hungry and homeless most in need across the nation.
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