ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 18, 1996 TAG: 9612180024
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
Some social service agencies here will receive a modest windfall from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has announced that Radford will receive a supplemental grant of $36,002.
That might not sound like a lot of money, but the Rev. Gina Rhea, chairwoman of the local board that will disperse the grant, said she's delighted to have it.
It also represents about $7,000 more than Radford got from FEMA last year, bucking a trend that's seen emergency grants to other localities decline.
"We feel very fortunate," Rhea said.
The FEMA grant has been used to support organizations such as the Women's Resource Center, the Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread and the city's Department of Social Services' emergency assistance program, helping to alleviate funding cutbacks from other sources.
FEMA's grant allocations are based on a complicated formula that takes unemployment, poverty and population into account.
University students and occupants of subsidized housing have influenced Radford's poverty figures. The students, like with Virginia Tech in neighboring Montgomery County, inflate the poverty figures because of the large numbers and generally low incomes. Several years ago, Radford had Virginia's highest poverty rate at 32.2 percent.
Radford's FEMA funding doubled between 1994-95.
In this case, no one is complaining. "I'm delighted that we received that much money. Everything we receive can be of great service to the community," Rhea said.
"I don't understand how the formula is applied," she added.
Agencies that assist needy residents by providing emergency food or shelter are eligible for the FEMA grants. Application forms are available from the United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd office in Christiansburg.
The local board that will disperse the grant is composed of representatives from the United Way, the Red Cross, New River Community Action and other civic organizations.
FEMA also announced a $3,945 supplemental grant from the same program to aid emergency services organizations in Montgomery County. That amount in addition to an earlier grant brings the county's FEMA share this year to $21,792.
Eligible Montgomery County organizations must reapply for the supplemental grant by Jan. 2.
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