County to receive $36K FEMA grant
Warren County has been chosen to receive $36,815 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county under a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant.
According to officials, the amount of the grant represents a significant increase over the past few years.
According to grant information provided to the county, the selection was made by a national board that is chaired by FEMA, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. The board consists of representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Salvation Army; United Jewish Communities; and United Way of America.
As part of this program a local board was established, which to a great extent mirrors the national board. This board is made up of the current Warren County Executive, a representative of the homeless, Catholic Charities, church organizations or ministerial associations, American Red Cross, United Way, the Warren County Food Bank and Emergency Management.
Local board members include County Executive John Pelham, Regenia Myers of WCEMA, Father Jim Bretl of the Warren County Food Bank, Gloria Cole of UCHRA, Cheryl Mingle of United Way of Warren County, JoAnn Stander of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kathy Nesmith of American Red Cross, Ric Kincaid of Families in Crisis and Lenia Smith of Shellsford Baptist Church.
A special meeting was called Monday by Pelham to appoint new officers for the local board and discuss the grant process and work on getting the paperwork ready to submit, since it is due by the end of this month.
At the meeting Pelham, now serving his first term as county executive, was duly elected chairman of the board, while Regenia Myers was elected secretary, replacing Tammy Gribble, who formally withdrew from the board. Gribble, who had been involved with preparing the grant paperwork for the past three years, graciously agreed to work with Pelham and Myers to prepare this year?s grant application. Ric Kincaid, new board chairman of Families in Crisis, was appointed representative of the homeless.
As stated in a public notice announcing the availability of the grant funds, published elsewhere in today?s edition of the Southern Standard, this board determines how the funds awarded to Warren County will be distributed to the various emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The local board is also responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds available under this phase of the program.
Under the terms of the grant from the national board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must:
? be private voluntary non-profits with 501(c)3 status, or units of government
? have an accounting system
? practice non-discrimination
? have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs
? and, if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board.
Qualifying agencies are urged to apply. The funds have been used for a wide range of emergency food and shelter services for the homeless in Warren County. Local organizations using the funds in the past include Families in Crisis, which provides shelter for victims of domestic violence, the Warren County Food Bank, which has provided literally thousands of meals for local families in need, and the UCHRA, which provides a number of services under its umbrella, including funds to help with rent and utilities for families who have become homeless due to job loss or family illness or other hardship.
Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and shelter Program funds must contact Warren County Executive John Pelham at 201 Locust Street, Suite 1, McMinnville, Tenn., 37110, or by phone at 473-2505, for an application. The deadline for applications to be received is Jan. 31.