Mathews County has been awarded a $15,000 matching Supplemental Local Emergency Management Performance Grant for equipment for the emergency shelter at the new YMCA. The award was made by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management from funds received annually from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mathews County Emergency Services Coordinator Willie Love said the grant, if matched dollar-for-dollar by Mathews County, will provide up to $30,000 for a permanent stand-by emergency generator for the shelter, along with the necessary cabling, wiring and transfer switch. The grant provides “the final piece to the puzzle” needed to upgrade the YMCA building so that it can serve as a shelter, he said.

Previous grants helped provide funding to enhance the strength of the building’s windows and doors to withstand 135 mph winds, to raise the grade of the building well above the flood plain, and to install a light commercial kitchen for use in emergencies, said Lov...