GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Federal funding is being made available to provide emergency food and shelter to agencies that help the underserved. WFRV Local 5’s Kris Schuller reports the program takes on special emphasis during the coronavirus pandemic.
With the coronavirus forcing businesses to close and leaving millions of people out of work, NEW Community Shelter has remained open.
“We serve more meals than ever before now, we’re seeing a lot of new faces,” said Kris Olson, director of development for the shelter.
But Olson says it has been a financial struggle.
“We want to keep helping our community, but it’s been tough, it has been a tough road,” Olson said.
But now this shelter and other agencies that help the underserved can find relief by applying for grants from the U.S government’s Emergency Food and Shelter program. It’s over $200,000 in federal funding, all to help feed and shelter the needy in Brown County.
“We’ve never seen a situation like this in our country before,” said Dan Wadle from Brown County United Way.
The agency is administering the program that’s been in place for a number of years. But this go-around includes over $120,000 funded through the CARES Act.
“It’s emergency food, it’s going to be for utility or rent assistance depending if programs apply and are approved,” Wadle said.
Wadle says in the past numerous nonprofits have received these grants.
“Golden House, Freedom House, NEW Community Shelter,” he said.
But he believes the funding takes on extra importance with unemployment approaching 15 percent .
“These federal monies basically help fill a need to try to provide for these folks that are experiencing a little tougher time than you and I are having right now,” Wadle said.
People that NEW Community Shelter helps seven days a week – a shelter where every dollar makes a difference.
“Funding is just really crucial right now,” Olson said.
If you’d more information on the grants follow this link.
