Organizations awarded $25k in grant funding

Hot Springs County has been awarded federal funds made available through the U. S. Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. The program is expected to receive a total of $ 25,904 in total federal funding to help supplement preexisting Emergency Food and Shelter programs across the county. Including, but not limited to mass shelter, rent and/ or utility assistance, food, and motel vouchers for those who are faced with homelessness.

A local board consisting of representatives from the American Red Cross, representative of Hot Spring County, the City of Malvern, the homeless, Catholic church, Jewish synagogue, Protestant churches, The Salvation Army, and United Way met earlier in the summer to review the EFSP program/ agency applications and make recommendations to determine which local emergency food and shelter programs would be responsible for receiving and/ or administering 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 have to: be a private voluntary non- profit or a unit of government, be eligible to receive Federal funds, have an accounting system, practice nondiscrimination, demonstrate the capability to deliver emergency food and/ or shelter programs, and if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board.

Among the entities expected to receive funds include First Presbyterian Church, Hot Spring County Homeless Coalition, Ouachita Behavior Health & Wellness, Ouachita Children, Youth, & Family Services and Ouachita River Fellowship.

Please visit www.unitedwayouachitas.org for more information.