NMI gets $79K to expand emergency programs

The CNMI has been awarded federal funds under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program.

The Commonwealth has been selected to receive an award of $79,820 under Phase 34 of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program to supplement and expand emergency food and shelter programs in the Commonwealth. The award for the Commonwealth is based upon the total number of unemployed as compared to the total number of unemployed in all qualifying jurisdictions.

The selection was made by the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program that is chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from The Salvation Army; American Red Cross; United Jewish Communities; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A; and United Way of America.

A local board made up of the American Red Cross, the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Division of Youth Services, Karidat, Salvation Army, Youth with a Mission and others will determine how the funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress to the CNMI are to be distributed among local emergency food and shelter programs.

Local boards must ensure that agencies selected for funding meet the requirements on the local recipient organization certification form and all selected LROSs have signed the Phase 34 LRO certification and/or fiscal agent/fiscal conduit form prior to the submission of the local board plan. In addition, in selecting agencies for funding, local boards should ensure that agencies selected have the capacity to either charge back or expend Phase 34 funding during the jurisdiction’s selected spending period. Agencies selected must be able to completely and accurately obtain, retain, and submit (if requested) the required expenditure documentation with their final reports and required spreadsheets

Additional information regarding the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program can be found on the EFSP website, http://www.efsp.unitedway.org.

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds may contact John Hirsh, EFSP local board chairman, at 234-3459 or at the main office on Airport Road, Saipan or Lauri Ogumoro at Karidat at 234-6981. The deadline for applications is Friday, Sept. 22, 2017.