Weld County Receives $140,312 in Federal Emergency Food and Shelter Assistance

Weld County-wide housing stability efforts have been awarded $140,312 in federal funds through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for emergency food and shelter assistance.

Nonprofit, faith-based, and governmental organizations that serve Weld County residents with emergency food and shelter programs are encouraged to apply for funding. The deadline to apply is the end of the day on Monday, April 3, 2023.

Contact Shawn Walcott, United Way of Weld County’s director of collective impact, at [email protected] or 970-353-4300 with questions or for an application.

Chaired and facilitated by United Way of Weld County, a Weld County EFSP Local Board determines how the funds are distributed. The board comprises representatives from the community, local government, and nonprofit agencies and is responsible for recommending funding based on submitted applications.

Awarded funds may be used to serve vulnerable populations with served meals, other food, mass shelter, other temporary shelter, supplies, rent and mortgage assistance, and utility assistance. EFSP funds can supplement existing food and shelter services and may not be used to establish new programs.

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program was established in 1983 to supplement the capacity of local organizations to provide emergency food and shelter to households facing a crisis. The program is overseen by a National Board chaired by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which consists of representatives of the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, The Jewish Federations of North America, The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide.

In its 40-year history, local United Ways have helped facilitate the distribution of over $5 billion in EFSP funds to more than 14,000 human services agencies in more than 2,500 communities across the United States.

Under the terms of the grant from the EFSP National Board, local emergency food and shelter organizations chosen to receive funds must: 1) be nonprofit or faith-based organizations or units of government; 2) have an accounting system; 3) practice nondiscrimination; 4) have demonstrated capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs; and 5) if they are a nonprofit or faith-based organization, have a voluntary board.