HERNANDO COUNTY OFFERS WORKSHOP FOR AGENCIES APPLYING FOR FEMA’S EMERGENCY FOOD & SHELTER PROGRAM
Spring Hill, FL – January 31, 2025 – In anticipation of Hernando County being awarded Phase 42 funding for FEMA’s Emergency Food & Shelter Programs (ESFP), the Hernando Local Board will be offering a virtual workshop on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 10:00am for organizations interested in applying for supplemental service categories under Served Meals, Other Food, Mass Shelter, Other Shelter, Rent/Mortgage assistance, and Utility assistance. This mandatory workshop is designed to help guide agencies and educate potential applicants on the EFSP application process. Guidance will cover how to properly record and report all needed documentation, as well as understand all state and local requirements.
Hernando’s EFSP Local Board is made up of representatives from American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, the Jewish Federation, Catholic Charities, Mid-Florida Homeless Coalition, Hernando County Emergency Management, St. Vincent de Paul CARES, and United Way of Hernando County, and will determine how the funds are to be granted to qualified Hernando County organizations. These funds are to be distributed to supplement and expand ongoing efforts to provide shelter, food, and supportive services for Hernando’s hungry, homeless, and residents in economic crisis. The Local Board is responsible for the process and allocation decisions to agencies who will receive EFSP funds under this program.
Under the terms of the grant from the National Board; local agencies awarded must:
1.Be a 501(c)3 non-profit agency in good standing with the IRS and National Board
2.Have at least a minimum of one year of operations, providing services in the service category they are applying for
3.Have demonstrated the capability to deliver one or more the following service categories: served meals, other food, mass shelter, other shelter, rent/mortgage assistance, or utility assistance
4.Have the ability to maintain and submit comprehensive reports with supporting backup documentation (including backdated reports, cleared checks and statements, and additional support documents as requested)
5.Have the ability to operate on a reimbursable basis
6.Be a private voluntary non-profit or unit of government
7.Have a reliable accounting system
8.Practice non-discrimination
9.Have a voluntary Board of Directors if they are a private voluntary organization
Agencies interested in applying must attend the virtual Hernando County EFSP Agency Workshop on February 25th. In order to gain access to the Zoom meeting, RSVPs are required by visiting www.UnitedWayHernando.org/Phase42Workshop. A representative will follow up with details.
It is recommended for qualified agencies to visit www.efsp.unitedway.org prior to the workshop and application release, for additional tools that cover EFSP requirements, recent changes, reporting for LROs, as well as the EFSP Manual. Hernando’s EFSP Phase 42 award announcement will be determined by a National Board that is chaired by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. The award amount is based on the average number of unemployed individuals in the Hernando area, the total number of individuals below the poverty level, and the jurisdiction’s total population. Hernando was awarded $61,900 in 2024 for Phase 41.
For more information on Emergency Food & Shelter National Board Program, please visit www.UnitedWayHernando.org/EFSP-Phase42Workshop or www.efsp.unitedway.org. Additional questions may be directed to Hernando’s EFSP Admin by emailing Angie@UnitedWayHernando.org.
Emergency Food & Shelter Program: The Emergency Food and Shelter Program was established on March 24, 1983, with the signing of the "Jobs Stimulus Bill," Public Law 98-8. That legislation created a National Board, chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that consisted of representatives of the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, The Jewish Federations of North America, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide. The EFSP was authorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77 signed into law on July 24, 1987, since renamed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and subsequently reauthorized under P.L. 100-628, signed into law on November 7, 1988). Since 1983, in its 38-year history, the EFSP will have distributed $5.03 billion to over 14,000 human service agencies in more than 2,500 communities across the country through this collaborative effort between the private and public sectors.
