The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) is a vital federal initiative that helps local nonprofits—including food pantries, shelters, and faith-based organizations—respond quickly to community emergencies like hunger, eviction, or displacement. This year, more than $97,000 in EFSP Phase 42 funds was designated for Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties to support essential services like housing assistance, shelter for domestic violence survivors, and food access. However, the release of these funds is now indefinitely paused, and previous awards are at risk of being clawed back. These delays and potential cuts threaten to destabilize critical safety net services at a time when local need remains high. United Way of the Lakeshore urges Congress to restore and protect EFSP funding as originally intended to ensure our community can continue meeting urgent needs.
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Representative Hillary Scholten (Michigan's 3rd Congressional District) | Send Email Here
Representative John Moolenaar (Michigan's 2nd Congressional District) | Send Email Here
Senator Gary Peters | Send Email Here
Senator Elissa Slotkin | Send Email Here
Draft Email:
Dear [Representative XXX]
I am a constituent (or put that you are a resident of BLANK) reaching out today to share my deep concern regarding the indefinite pause of the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) Phase 42 funding, and the clawback of previous phase funding. This is a unique federal public-private initiative that aids neighbors during times of emergency through grassroots services instead of government bureaucracies.
Each year, EFSP uniquely distributes $3 million across Michigan through local nonprofits, many of whom include places of worship and faith-based charities, groups that are already on the ground helping people, to make critical food and shelter available for our community’s families and neighbors who are struck by emergency hardships. Currently, for Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties, over $97,000 that was announced earlier this year for this program (Muskegon County $66,101, Newaygo County $18,472, Oceana County $12,656). These funds help us support our local food pantries, our domestic violence shelter, and help families remain or find housing.
Funding pauses, cuts, and clawbacks will have a rippling effect — food pantries, after-school meals, stable housing, and other vital services used by our district’s constituents will be less available. These are funds approved annually by Congress to help people who need it the most.
I urge your office to ensure that previous EFSP funding will not be clawed back and future EFSP funding can move forward as Congress intended. Our community is counting on you to be a champion for those experiencing or at risk of experiencing emergency hunger and homelessness by working to restore EFSP funding TODAY.
Thank you for your leadership in supporting this backstop of support for our communities.
Best,
