The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) shares important news with the community about the distribution of $734,580 in reimbursements and future estimated expenses to 13 organizations that have provided or will provide emergency food and/or shelter programs in the territory from Nov. 1, 2021, through April 30, 2023.
The funds are distributed directly to the agencies by the National Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). CFVI administers the program in the U.S.V.I. and serves as chair of a 12-member local board that reviews the applications and recommends awards. To be eligible, applicants had to be nonprofit organizations, churches or units of government that have demonstrated the ability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs.
The first round of funding, finalized in January of this year, resulted in the distribution of $578,970 in reimbursements to 12 organizations throughout the territory.
Both rounds of funding were provided through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the federally-funded Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (EFSP) based on the following phases/funding cycles:
Phase 39: Nov. 1, 2021 – April 30, 2023 – $180,180
Catholic Charities – $115,000
CFVI – $3,603 (funds awarded to administer the program)
Methodist Training and Outreach Center – $11,043
Community Action Now – $50,533
Phase ARPA-R: 11/01/2021 – 04/30/2023 – $554,400
Catholic Charities – $103,822
CFVI – $11,088 (funds awarded to administer the program)
Methodist Training and Outreach Center – $40,262
My Brother’s Table – $34,838
Our Lady of Mt Carmel Catholic Church – $16,713
Salvation Army – $81,995
Women’s Coalition of St. Croix – $19,979
Liberty Place – $50,570
North Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists – $75,070
Project Hope Outreach Ministries – $34,026
St. Thomas Reformed Church – $49,946
Southern Maryland Youth Training & Outreach Center Inc. of the Virgin Islands – $21,107
The Village Virgin Islands Partners in Recovery Inc. – $14,984
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program was established on March 24, 1983, with the signing of the “Jobs Stimulus Bill,” Public Law 98-8. That legislation created a national board, chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that consisted of representatives of the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, The Jewish Federations of North America, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Salvation Army and United Way Worldwide.
In its 39-year history, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program has distributed $5.67 billion to over 14,000 human service agencies in more than 2,500 communities across the country through this collaborative effort between the private and public sectors.
For more information about the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, visit
https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/index.cfm