The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) provides federal funds to community organizations to help people in times of crisis and to provide prevention services that help people avoid crisis.  United Way of Greater New Haven administers the program for New Haven County.

EFSP funds, which are distributed through a competitive application process, are used to provide served meals or emergency groceries, lodging in a mass shelters or hotels, and emergency rent and mortgage assistance, foreclosure prevention and utility assistance.

For fiscal year 2011-2012, the most recent year for which federal grant funds have been made available, United Way made possible the investment of $422,892 in New Haven County programs that serve individuals and families in the towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Meriden, Middlebury, Milford, Naugatuck, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Oxford, Prospect, Seymour, Southbury, Wallingford, Waterbury, West Haven, Wolcott, and Woodbridge. The 2011-2012 fiscal year Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) investments included:

Greater New Haven Emergency Food and Shelter Program Investments ($204,722 total)

Food Investments ($89,222)

AIDS Project New Haven: $10,000

This grant supports Caring Cuisine, Connecticut’s oldest and longest-running meal delivery program and the only meal delivery program that provides prepared meals for individuals infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses.

Christian Community Action, Inc.: $10,000

With more people coming to the Food Pantry, this grant provides additional quality groceries to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in New Haven.

City of Milford Department of Human Services: $3,370

This grant will help provide more individuals and families in distress access to the city’s existing grocery store voucher program. 

Community Dining Room: $10,000

As the need for nutritious food continues to increase in in East Haven, Foxon, Branford, North Branford, Guildford and Madison, this grant helps to expand the soup kitchen’s capacity to provide as well as deliver more meals to individuals and families.

Community Soup Kitchen: $15,000

This grant will help provide breakfast and lunch on a regular basis to an increasing number of low-income and homeless individuals in New Haven.

Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen: $10,000

This grant will provide more daily, free hot evening meals served consistently seven days a week to a very diverse community of at risk individuals, families & children who are “food insecure” in the greater New Haven area.

Fish of Greater New Haven: $13,352

This grant helps provide food assistance to disabled, elderly, unemployed and underemployed individuals and children in New Haven who are unable to afford groceries and cannot travel to soup kitchens, walk-in and/or mobile food pantries.

Jewish Family Services: $12,500

This grant provides additional quality food items to help alleviate the growing numbers of people experiencing food insecurity in greater New Haven.

The Salvation Army: $5,000

More low-income families, individuals and seniors living in New Haven will receive emergency groceries as a result of this grant.

Emergency Shelter Investments ($36,000)
 

Christian Community Action: $6,000

This grant supports the Motel Assistance Program providing safe transitional lodging for homeless families while securing longer-term housing or while shelters are at capacity.

Columbus House: $20,000

This grant increases the organization’s capacity to provide emergency shelter to New Haven’s single adult homeless population.

New Haven Home Recovery: $10,000

This grant provides families a safe and stable place to live while supporting case management to help families move out of the shelter more quickly and rebuild their lives.
 

Housing and Utility Investments ($79,500 total)

City of Milford Department of Human Services: $7,000

This grant will provide more Milford residents who suddenly face loss of income with rental or mortgage assistance.

City of Milford Department of Human Services: $4,000

This grant supports Milford’s Emergency Energy Assistance Program to help an increasing number of Milford residents who experience shut off notices on their utility bills and/or are in need of an emergency oil delivery.

Episcopal Social Services of CT/Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services: $7,500

This grant helps provide emergency rental assistance to refugees, allowing families to take care of their health needs, enroll their children in school, learn English as well as look for employment.

Liberty Community Services: $10,000

As there continues to be an economic need for assistance in the community, this grant helps support the Homeless Prevention Assistance Program provide quality supportive housing in New Haven.

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven: $15,000

This grant helps support the Foreclosure Prevention Rescue Loan Fund which provides clients with intensive case management to address mortgage delinquencies.

The Salvation Army: $10,000

Given the continued struggles due to the economy and rising costs associated with maintaining basic needs, this grant supports utility assistance for individuals and families as they strive toward regaining self-sufficiency.

Town of Hamden, Community Services Department: $11,000

This grant supplements Hamden’s Emergency Utility Assistance program, offering residents one-time assistance to pay either their electric, oil, gas or water utility bills.

Town of Hamden, Community Services Department: $15,000

This grant supplements Hamden’s Emergency Rental & Foreclosure Assistance program offering qualifying residents rental housing or eviction assistance.

Emergency Food and Shelter Program Investments covering programs serving Meriden, Wallingford, Ansonia, Derby, Shelton, Waterbury and Naugatuck ($209,712)

Meriden Soup Kitchen: $10,505

Meriden-Wallingford Chrysalis, Inc.: $10,505

The Salvation Army Meriden & Wallingford: $7,372

New Opportunities, Inc.: $23,323

Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, Inc.: $10,697

St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury, Inc.: $43,968

The Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries, Inc.: $30,285

The Salvation Army of Waterbury: $19,950

Wellmore, Inc.: $8,900

Area Congregations Together, Inc.: $29,000

BHcare, Inc.: $9,240

TEAM, Inc.: $3,957

The Salvation Army of Ansonia: $3,010