Porter County recently was awarded $161,046 through the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program to support local food pantries and homeless shelter services, according to the United Way of Porter County.
Most of the dollars, $94,655, came through the Federal CARES Act for coronavirus relief.
The selection was made by a national board chaired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and includes representatives from the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, The Salvation Army, United Jewish Communities and United Way of America.
The United Way said a local board will determine how the funds will be distributed. The board encourages Porter County nonprofits to apply.
The United Way said eligibility includes: Organizations must be private voluntary nonprofits or a unit of government; be eligible to receive federal funds; have an accounting system; practice nondiscrimination; have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and if the organization is a private voluntary group, it must have a voluntary board.
The United Way of Porter County has assorted resources on its website offering information about available assistance.
Lake Area United Way also has worked with various service organizations to provide an online resource through Charity Tracker, a web-based case management system, www.resourceroundup.com, which provides links to various resources to assist residents during the crisis.
