FEMA awards Vermont more than $1.6 million to reimburse costs of providing emergency meals

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $1.6 million to the State of Vermont to reimburse the costs of providing emergency meals for residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $1,626,337 Public Assistance grant will go to the Agency of Commerce and Community Development for providing meal preparation and delivery service to high-risk populations under the the state’s emergency feeding program “Vermont Everyone Eats” between November 2021 and January 2022.

During that time the agency entered into an agreement with Southeastern Vermont Community Action, Inc. (SEVCA), which established and coordinated with state-wide subcontractors (Hubs) that oversaw restaurant engagement, production, and distribution of 130,107 meals to 97,822 Vermonters experiencing food insecurity.

The program launched in August 2020 with $5 million from the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund and has continued with additional funding through FEMA.

“FEMA is pleased to support Vermont’s innovative approach to assisting its most vulnerable populations,” said FEMA Region I Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “By involving the private sector in the preparation and distribution of meals, both those faced with food insecurity and those who work at restaurants are helped.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. So far, FEMA has provided more than $301 million in grants to Vermont to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses.

Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program is available at https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit. To learn more about the COVID-19 response in Vermont, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4532.

2.23.2022. BOSTON – FEMA