Tompkins County Secures Vital Funding to Support Local Emergency Food and Shelter Programs

Tompkins County has been awarded ,619 in federal funds through the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program, a crucial lifeline for local organizations providing essential services to individuals and families facing economic hardship. This funding aims to supplement and strengthen the county's emergency food and shelter initiatives, ensuring vulnerable residents have access to the resources they need during times of crisis.

Empowering Communities to Tackle Economic Emergencies

A Nationwide Effort to Support Local Programs

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program is a national initiative created in 1983 to bolster community-based efforts in providing food, housing, and supportive services to those in need. Unlike the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which typically responds to natural disasters, this program is specifically designed to address economic emergencies and their impact on individuals and families.

Tompkins County's Qualifying Criteria

Tompkins County was selected to receive this funding due to its qualifying unemployment and poverty rates. As of April 2024, the county's unemployment rate stood at 2.9%, a slight decrease from 3.6% in December 2023. Additionally, the poverty rate in Tompkins County was approximately 16.7% as of 2023, higher than the state average of 14.3% and the national average of 12.6%.

Fluctuating Funding and COVID-19 Allocations

According to John Mazzello of the Human Services Coalition, the funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program has fluctuated over the years, depending on the total amount available and the county's unemployment and poverty levels relative to the rest of the country. This year's allocation of ,619 is about average compared to the last several years, but the county has also received larger COVID-related allocations as part of the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan (ARPA).

Local Decision-Making and Oversight

The distribution of the funds in Tompkins County is overseen by a Local Board, consisting of representatives from county government, the City of Ithaca, the Human Services Coalition, United Way, local service providers, and the faith community. This board is responsible for recommending which local agencies will receive the funding, ensuring it is used to enhance their ability to provide meals, shelter, rental assistance, and other critical services to residents in need.

Streamlining the Application Process

The Local Board in Tompkins County has worked to make the application process more streamlined, recognizing that the amount of funding available is not substantial. Applicants are invited to meet with the board to discuss their ideas and answer questions, and the board then allocates the funding based on these discussions.

Eligible Uses of the Funding

The funding can be used to cover a variety of costs for organizations that provide food or housing services, such as directly providing food to individuals, covering costs associated with housing people, assisting with rent or utility payments, and similar initiatives. The agencies that received funding most recently include the Advocacy Center, Catholic Charities, Loaves and Fishes, Family & Children's Service, Groton Community Cupboard, Mutual Aid Tompkins, OAR, St. John's Community Services/Emergency Shelter, The Learning Web, United Way (for their ALICE financial support program), and Village at Ithaca.

Eligibility and Application Process

To be eligible for this funding, local agencies must be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, eligible to receive federal funds, have an accounting system, practice nondiscrimination, demonstrate the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and have a voluntary board if the entity is a private voluntary organization. Interested agencies should contact John Mazzello at the Human Services Coalition to apply, with the deadline for applications set at 12:00 p.m. on July 26, 2024.