NEWS RELEASE

Ohio United Way

Emergency
Food and Shelter Program

Ohio State Set-Aside Committee

Contact: Robin Harris 614.224.8146

Critically Needed Federal Funds
Released To Help Meet Local Emergency Needs

COLUMBUS
(February 26, 2004) – Ohio has been awarded a total of $5,884,457 in funding
for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Nearly 90 percent of the funding is
allocated directly by a national board, with about 11 percent, $636,463,
distributed by a state set-aside committee.

The Emergency Food and Shelter
Board Program (EFSP) is a federal program administered by the US Department of
Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and has been entrusted
through the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 to supplement
and expand ongoing efforts to provide shelter, food, and supportive services for
homeless and hungry individuals. The intent of the EFSP is to address emergency
needs related to economic situations, not disaster. The ongoing needs of hunger
and homelessness must be addressed with this funding.

This year marks the 19^th consecutive year that
the Emergency Food and Shelter Program National Board has provided a State
Set-Aside allocation to Ohio. The task for the State Set-Aside Committee is to
establish a needs-based allocation formula to distribute these funds to Ohio’s
counties.

Today,
state set-aside allocations were announced for the 31 counties that did not
receive a direct allocation from the national board. The allocations were made
by a state board that is chaired by Juliet Coles Rowland, President and CEO of
the Ohio United Way and consists of representatives of The Salvation Army;
American Red Cross; Ohio Jewish Communities; Catholic Conference of Ohio; the
Ohio Council of Churches; Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks, the
Ohio Departments of Aging, Development, and Job and Family Services;
Children’s Hunger Alliance; Ohio State Legal Services; and the Coalition on
Homelessness and Housing in Ohio.

“Local
agencies use the funding for emergency shelter and feeding programs. Including,
food distribution through food pantries and food banks, utility assistance to
prevent service cut-off, and rent/mortgage assistance to prevent evictions or
assist people leaving shelters to establish stable living conditions,” Juliet
Coles Rowland.

Ohio’s
Adult Emergency Assistance (AEA) Program was not funded in the current state
budget, which puts a greater burden on the federally-funded Emergency Food and
Shelter Program. AEA provided emergency aid to single childless adults living in
extreme poverty—40 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, people with
incomes of $3,724 or less per year. AEA
was the only source of funds for this particularly vulnerable population.

Local
boards determine how funding is distributed among emergency food and shelter
programs run by local service agencies. Local agencies must: 1) be private
voluntary nonprofits and faith-based organizations, 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.

-More-

Page
Two

February
26, 2004

Public
or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and
Shelter Program funds must contact local boards.

Emergency
Food and Shelter Board Program

2004
State Set-Aside Allocations

County

Amount

Auglaize

$11,208

Champaign

$14,382

Clermont

$53,173

Clinton

$16,638

Defiance

$13,764

Delaware

$23,682

Fayette

$15,232

Fulton

$9,848

Geauga

$8,605

Hancock

$18,631

Henry

$6,898

Knox

$22,972

Lake

$62,210

Logan

$19,380

Madison

$13,865

Medina

$25,057

Mercer

$23,774

Miami

$25,938

Morrow

$19,139

Paulding

$7,601

Pickaway

$27,889

Preble

$12,529

Putnam

$7,137

Sandusky

$20,986

Shelby

$12,467

Tuscarawas

$42,730

Union

$11,463

Van
Wert

$20,340

Warren

$21,658

Wayne

$43,042

Wyandot

$4,225

Total

$636,460

#
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A complete
list of Ohio counties who received either a direct or State set-aside allocation
are available <Click
Here> Contact: Robin Harris at Ohio United Way, 614.224.8146, by
e-mail at [email protected] or by
visiting the Ohio United Way website at www.ouw.org.