Congressman Sestak Announces $156,640 for Delaware County to Prevent Homelessness
WASHINGTON, DC – April 9, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on April 9, 2009, announced that federal funding totaling $100 million has been made available to the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (EFSP), through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) announced that Delaware County will receive $156,640 in funding through the program.
“This will bring relief to communities to address unemployment, poverty, and other needs as we face these economic challenges,” said Congressman Sestak. “This aid will help those hurt most by this recession while providing an investment in our community for our future prosperity.”
The EFSP is administered by a National Board of voluntary agencies. Member agencies of the National Board include American Red Cross; Catholic Charities USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; The Salvation Army; United Jewish Communities; and United Way of America.
The EFSP began in 1983 with a $50 million federal appropriation to help meet the needs of hungry and homeless people throughout the United States by allocating federal funds for the provision of food and shelter. The EFSP, appropriated annually under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, provides supplemental funds to over 12,000 agencies for the prevention of homelessness and the provision of other food and shelter services.
Since its inception, twenty-six years ago, more than $3.4 billion in federal aid has been disbursed through the EFSP with funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The National Board qualifies jurisdictions for annual EFSP funding awards based on criteria involving current population, unemployment and poverty levels. Grants are awarded to non-profit community and government organizations that are chosen by Local Boards in the qualifying jurisdictions. In addition to direct funding awards, a portion of the funds available have been awarded by the National Board to State Set-Aside (SSA) Committees. SSA Committees select jurisdictions for funding with significant needs or service gaps that may not have qualified for direct funding from the National Board.
Born and raised in Delaware County, former 3-star Admiral Joe Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and now serves as the Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania. He led a series of operational commands at sea, including Commander of an aircraft carrier battle group of 30 U.S. and allied ships with over 15,000 sailors and 100 aircraft that conducted operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After 9/11, Joe was the first Director of “Deep Blue,” the Navy’s anti-terrorism unit that established strategic and operations policies for the “Global War on Terrorism.” He served as President Clinton’s Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. According to the office of the House Historian, Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
