COUNTYWIDE : FEMA Helps Ease Personal Crises Too

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, by its name and reputation, would seem to be an organization that helps the public only when flood waters rise, the earth quakes or, in the case of Orange County, fires rage.

But the agency also funds emergency food and shelter on other occasions, injecting millions of dollars into keeping homeless and disadvantaged people warm and well-fed under a program that this year selected Orange County charities to receive $1.34 million.

FEMA’s national board scrutinizes communities across the country with the goal of distributing funds to areas with a high need. Despite the program’s far-reaching efforts, FEMA spokeswoman Mildred Hopkins said her agency is still identified with disaster relief.

“What we do is broader than just disaster work,” Hopkins said. “That’s certainly the largest part of our work, and it’s the most visible, but it’s not the only thing we do.”

The federal funds are sent as a lump sum to the county, but an area funding board distributes it. A board with area officials from the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Way and other groups is now accepting applications from local groups interested in receiving the funding.

To qualify, groups must be nonprofit, perform annual audits and demonstrate the capability to distribute emergency food and shelter. For more information, call the Red Cross, which handles the program’s local administration, at (714) 835-5381, Ext. 275.

FEMA’s annual funds last year pumped $1 million into 20 agencies in Orange County, according to local Red Cross chapter spokeswoman Judy Iannaccone. The money paid for nearly 2 million meals, 45,519 nights of lodging, 516 rent or mortgage bills, 586 utility bills and 349 bus passes, records show.

FEMA also responded to the wildfires that raged in Laguna Beach, Anaheim Hills and the Cleveland National Forest. Among the agency’s efforts is a $737,900 grant to the state for mental health crisis counseling, and accepting applications for relief loans and grants to burned-out residents, Hopkins said.

For more information about FEMA offerings and assistance programs, call (800) 525-0321.