History
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) was created in 1983 to supplement and expand the work of local social service agencies, both nonprofit and governmental, in an effort to help people with economic emergencies (not disaster-related emergencies). EFSP is governed by a National Board that selects jurisdictions for funding. Local Boards are convened in those qualifying jurisdictions to determine the highest need and best use of EFSP funds and to select Local Recipient Organizations (LROs) that will provide emergency food and shelter services. The EFSP funding is open to all organizations helping hungry and homeless people. EFSP funds must be used to supplement feeding, sheltering (including transitional sheltering), rent/mortgage assistance, and utility assistance efforts only. Each year, needs are reassessed in an effort to respond to changes in the community.