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Allocation for Coffee County comes in at $83,722

Local agencies operating in the areas of emergency food and shelter will have the opportunity to apply to receive a portion of the $83,722 in federal grant funding allocated to Coffee County for this year.

Administered by United Way of Highway 55, the grant funding can be utilized for costs incurred between Nov. 1 2021 and Dec. 31 2024.

United Way of Highway 55 Executive Director Ashley Abraham said the federal grant funding is made available to the county annually.

“The government can allocate funds to our area and we are able to distribute those every year,” she said.

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 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 and United Way Worldwide.

Applications will be reviewed by a local board charged with distributing the funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

“There are definitely certain protocols that we have to follow,” Abraham said. “We form a board and on that board there has to be certain organizations. The Salvation Army has to be on the board and American Red Cross, Catholic Charities… we can have board members from United Way on the board and other community leaders that are willing and wanting to serve on that board.”

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 non-profits or units of government, have an accounting system, practice nondiscrimination, must not charge a fee for service, have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, may not require religious/counseling services, and if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

Abraham said there are typically three or four nonprofits that are awarded a portion of the grant funding each year and every dime of the $83,722 must be distributed within Coffee County.

“That money has to stay in Coffee County, it will not go outside Coffee County,” she said. “Agencies that apply for the grant have to serve Coffee County.”

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funding should contact Ashley Abraham at the United Way of Highway 55 at 931-455-5678 or Director@highway55unitedway.org for an application. The deadline to apply is Noon Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2024.

“Food and shelter are a huge issue in many areas, especially shelter,” Abraham said. “I definitely think that this is going to hopefully strengthen those nonprofits to hopefully be able to help more people in our area.”