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United Way of Pinal County
Cindy Cook, Chair of the Local Emergency Food and Shelter (EFSP) Board, announced today that Pinal County has been advised that it will receive Phase 34 grant funds in the amount of $173,369 for emergency food and shelter services. These funds are made available to Pinal County by a National Board that is chaired by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, USA, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., The Salvation Army, United Jewish Communities and United Way of America. Funds are appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.
The United Way of Pinal County administers the local program under the guidance of the local volunteer EFSP Board that will determine how funds and to whom these grant funds will be awarded to. These funds are reserved for nonprofit agencies that as a part of normal business provide emergency food and shelter services and are not intended for startup, new agencies or individuals. Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2) have an accounting system, 3) practice nondiscrimination, 4) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 5) if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board.
The Pinal County Local EFSP Board distributed Emergency Food and Shelter funds through Phase 33 funding cycle to the following countywide agencies: Community Action Human Resources Agency (CAHRA) for food and rent; Community Alliance Against Family Abuse (CAAFA) for emergency shelter and food assistance; Pinal Gila Council for Senior Citizens (PGCSC) for home delivered meals; Salvation Army for rent and mortgage assistance, emergency shelter and food assistance; Seeds of Hope for served meals and other food; Catholic Community Services for served meals; Tri-Community Food Bank for rent/mortgage assistance; and Future Forward Foundation for community and backyard gardens that bring additional locally grown organic produce to pantry shelves.
Manuela Rehm-Bowler, United Way of Pinal County Executive Director mentioned that 1:4 children live in food insecure homes and 1:7 adults don’t earn enough to support their household. These numbers are confirmed by the fact that 98% of the calls taken by the 2-1-1 Resource Referral System were for Rental Assistance, Utilities and Food. The 2017 EFSP Phase 34 Funding application deadline is September 8, 2017 with fund distributions after awards are approved by the federal agency. The application will be posted online at www.unitedwayofpc.org or can also be obtained by contacting the United Way office at 402 E. 10th St. in Casa Grande at 520-836-0736.
About United Way of Pinal County
The United Way of Pinal County is a nonprofit organization that brings people and communities together to advance the common good through services that improve lives. The organization partners with local nonprofits, businesses, and government and social service agencies, to address the communities’ most pressing needs. The mission statement is “United Way of Pinal County matches generosity with community needs to promote lasting change in people’s lives.”
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