Non-profits received step-by-step instructions on applying for Federal assistance
HAMILTON – The Department of Human Services (DHS) sponsored a briefing this week with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management for certain contracted providers. The session provided information regarding federal aid for non-profit agencies that experienced material losses during Hurricane Sandy. The deadline to apply is December 30th.
DHS contracts with and depends on the services of nearly 900 non-profit providers throughout the state. Damage from Hurricane Sandy impacted many of their operations.
“Applying for federal assistance can be daunting, especially for community-based providers that had property damages in more than one location,” said DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez. “We felt it was important to provide a forum for them to ask direct questions of the experts and get immediate, straightforward guidance.”
As a result of Hurricane Sandy, New Jersey’s government facilities and private, non-profit (PNP) agencies were determined eligible to apply for reimbursement of disaster-related expenses. To qualify, they must first complete a Request for Public Assistance (RPA) form and submit it to the state’s Office of Emergency Management. Once the RPA is received and reviewed, a FEMA representative will meet with the applicant to go over purchase orders, time sheets, photographs of damage, or any other supporting documentation.
During the two-hour briefing, attendees were shown a PowerPoint presentation outlining the Public Assistance benefit and detailing authorized expenses for reimbursement. FEMA recommends that government or non-profit agencies damaged as a result of Hurricane Sandy apply – even if they have insurance.
“There are disaster-related costs that home or car insurance won’t cover but Public Assistance will reimburse,” added Commissioner Velez. “The deadline to apply is imminent so we wanted to make every effort to ensure that our providers were properly informed.”
Local government or non-profit agencies interested in applying for Public Assistance should review FEMA’s checklist to see if they are eligible. If they are, they should complete and submit the Request for Public Assistance form and follow the grant application process.
