It’s been difficult to watch the gridlock in Congress, and we at United Way are very concerned with protecting vital programs for the poor. We’ve been enlisting hundreds of people to advocate for key programs. House Members seemed to listen and did something right last week. In the midst of budget cuts, they passed a spending bill for fiscal year 2012, and in it was $120M for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). Given the economic and political landscape, this is good news.
United Way manages the EFSP program for six Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, and San Francisco), helping to distribute millions to non-profits who provide vital services for the community. Last year, EFSP paid for two million meals, 100,000 nights of shelter, and 500 rent bills in the Bay Area.
Thank you to all of those who took time to contact your Congressional Representative. Let’s keep up the good work – it pays to ADVOCATE!
