Tuscaloosa County to receive money for emergency food, shelter program

Staff report
·2 min read

Tuscaloosa County has been chosen to receive $51,754 for supplementing emergency food and shelter programs in the county.

Tuscaloosa County has also been chosen to receive an additional $159,959 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs under the American Rescue Plan Act (APRA-R) Act to respond to the COVID-19 impact on communities.

The selection was made by a national board that is chaired by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from:

• The American Red Cross

• Catholic Charities USA

• National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

• The Jewish Federations of North America

• The Salvation Army

• United Way Worldwide

The local board was charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

A local board made up of representatives from emergency preparedness agencies, faith-based organizations, FEMA and social service agencies will determine how the funds awarded to Tuscaloosa County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies.

The local board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program.

Under the terms of the grant from the national board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must:

• Be private voluntary nonprofits or units of government

• Be eligible to receive federal funds

• Have an accounting system with financial records and procedures of the agency audited annually by an independent public accountant

• Practice nondiscrimination

• Have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs

• And if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds should visit uwwa.org/news. For questions, contact Emily Bryant at emily@uwwa.org or 205-345-6640. The deadline for applications to be received is Monday, Feb. 7, 2022.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa County to receive money for emergency food, shelter program