Food and Shelter Program Funding Application Deadline is Near

United Way of North Central Washington is accepting applications until November 1st from non-profit organizations to supplement existing emergency food and shelter programs in both Chelan and Douglas counties.

"(The ideal candidate is) anyone that is already providing food and shelter programs, that can be a food bank or a program such as Mobile Meals," said Carrie Gavin, vice president of community investment and impact. "Shelters can be mass shelter like YWCA or Women's Resource Center. There's also the preventions so like Upper Valley Mend and Chelan Valley Hope."

It's federal money and United Way has roughly $48,000 to disperse in Chelan County and almost $27,000 to distribute in Douglas County. Funding is distributed to counties based on an algorithm that looks at statistics like county unemployment rates and some counties in the state don't receive any funding at all.

"It's a pretty simple application. It was made to be simple so you can keep doing the good work that you've been doing," said Gavin.

The funds should be distributed to categories such as served meals, other food, mass shelter, other shelter, supplies/equipment, rehabilitation/emergency repairs, rent/mortgage and utilities categories. In the past, the funding has been distributed to the YWCA, Community Action Council and Salvation Army.