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LAPLACE— For the 40^th year, St John the Baptist Parish is preparing to distribute grant awarded federal funds made available through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program, to supplement existing emergency food and shelter programs in the parish, Greg Maurin, board member of St John United Way and Chairman of the Local Emergency Food and Shelter Board, announced this week. The local EFSP board has been notified it has been awarded grants of $27,357 to be distributed to local agencies.

St. John United Way serves as fiscal monitor and local contact for the program.  Dolores Montz, Executive Director of the St. John United Way, reports that these funds are awarded exclusively to local organizations that are equipped and have demonstrated the ability to operate programs that meet the emergency food and shelter needs of parish residents.

The program is run by a national board of affiliates of national voluntary organizations and chaired by FEMA.  It consists of representatives from The Salvation Army; American Red Cross; The Jewish Federations of North America; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA; and United Way Worldwide. The Local EFSP Boards are charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

The Local (St. John) EFSP Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds made available under this phase of the program.

 

Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to participate to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary non-profit or units of government, 2) be eligible to receive federal funds, 3) have an accounting system, 4) practice nondiscrimination, 5) have demonstrated the capacity to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 6) if private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board. Qualified agencies are urged to apply.

The local board, made up from representatives of local affiliates of the above agencies, other local agencies and the Parish President’s Office, will determine how the funds awarded to St. John Parish are distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service organizations in the Parish. St John Parish has distributed funds previously to local agencies.

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and

Shelter Program funds must contact Dolores Montz at St John United Way at 985-6519118 by March 1,2023 for an application. The deadline for the completed application to be submitted is March 8,2023 at noon.