NORWICH – With unemployment rates at near record levels, there is more of a risk than ever of local residents going hungry, having utilities disconnected and even losing their homes. Thanks to federal stimulus money, the local group which allocates funding to meet those emergency needs, will have even more money to work with than they expected.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated an additional $100 million to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which provides relief to families dealing with non-disaster related emergencies in the form of food, shelter, rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs. According to Congressman Michael Arcuri, Chenango County’s EFSP will receive $17,345 on top of the $37,072 it has already received in federal funding for 2009.
“Now more than ever local community assistance groups need funding to help families and individuals already doing all they can to find employment and make ends meet,” said Congressman Mike Arcuri in a statement issued to the press.
According to Arcuri, the additional funding counties will receive as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will “help local families and seniors hit the hardest by the economic downturn.”
According to Chenango United Way Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco, the Chenango County EFSP committee which she chairs, has not yet been notified of the additional allocation.
“It takes time to go through,” Monaco said. “It could be weeks before we hear anything locally.” This, she explained, is because the funds are first allocated to the county through the national EFSP and then the money itself is appropriated by Congress and disseminated through United Way of America. When they do come in, however, they will no doubt be welcome.
“The Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds are extremely important to Chenango County. With an increasing poverty rate and unemployment rate in our community, the need for federal funds to assist with the issues of hunger, housing and utility assistance are crucial,” reported Monaco.
They money the local program receives each year is distributed to local agencies based on a grant application process overseen by the Chenango County EFSP Board. The board is comprised of representatives from not only the Chenango United Way, but also the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, NBT Bank, Area Agency on Aging, NYS Department of Labor and other local organization.
“These funds are used all over Chenango County and our food pantries and soup kitchens rely on this money each year,” said Monaco.
The organizations which receive money are required to submit mid- and end-of-year reports to ensure the efficient and effective use of the federal money.
According to Monaco, no steps will be taken to allocate the additional EFSP money provided through federal stimulus program until official notification of the dollar amount is received.


2009 awards were granted to the following Chenango County food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency housing and utility service providers.

Bainbridge Council of Churches Food Pantry, Bainbridge- $800
Bainbridge Soup Kitchen, Bainbridge- $1,000
Greene Open Door Soup Kitchen, Greene- $700
Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, Guilford- $900
McDonough Ecumenical Food Pantry, McDonough- $250
New Berlin Housing and Preservation, New Berlin- $450
Our Daily Bread Food Closet, Norwich- $3,000
Broad Street Methodist Soup Kitchen, Norwich- $1,000
St. Paul's Taste N See Soup Kitchen, Oxford- $1,200
Sherburne Community Lunch Program, Sherburne- $500
St. Malachy's Food Pantry, Sherburne- $1,500
God's Bread, Smyrna- $1,500
God's Bread II, Sherburne- $400
South Otselic United Methodist Church Food Pantry, South Otselic- $500
Roots & Wings, Catholic Charities- $15,000
Emergency Food and Shelter Program, Catholic Charities (housing and utility assistance)- $7,631

Applications for 2010 EFSP grants will be available in October 2009. For more information, contact the Chenango United Way office at 607-334-8815.