NORWICH – With unemployment rates at near record levels, there is more of a risk than ever of local residents going hungry, having utilities disconnected and even losing their homes. Thanks to federal stimulus money, the local group which allocates funding to meet those emergency needs, will have even more money to work with than they expected.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated an additional $100 million to the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which provides relief to families dealing with non-disaster related emergencies in the form of food, shelter, rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs. According to Congressman Michael Arcuri, Chenango County’s EFSP will receive $17,345 on top of the $37,072 it has already received in federal funding for 2009.

“Now more than ever local community assistance groups need funding to help families and individuals already doing all they can to find employment and make ends meet,” said Congressman Mike Arcuri in a statement issued to the press.

According to Arcuri, the additional funding counties will receive as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will “help local families and seniors hit the hardest by the economic downturn.”

According to Chenango United Way Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco, the Chenango County EFSP committee which she chairs, has not yet been notified of the additional allocation.