Rochester will soon be more prepared for disasters or local emergencies.

The city has been selected by the national nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund as an inaugural city in its new Emergency Financial Empowerment initiative. The program will help the city incorporate financial stability supports into its Local Emergency Response Plan.

City officials say the initiative is designed to ensure that the people of Rochester can receive assistance in navigating the available financial resources, as well as their eligibility and the process for accessing those resources.

Mayor Malik Evans says this will help prepare city families for the unexpected.

“Financial empowerment is key to resiliency,” said Evans. “I’m excited to have our Office of Emergency Management and the Mayor’s Office of Financial Empowerment work together to develop a thoughtful emergency preparedness and response plan that includes financial support resources to prepare city families for the potentially lasting impacts of an unexpected disaster or local emergency. I want to thank the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund for choosing Rochester as one of five municipalities nationwide to participate in the inaugural EFE cohort.” 

According to the mayor's office, the strain of natural disasters, public health crises and other localized emergencies can significantly impact a family's financial stability, which can lead to long-term financial consequences. 

Rochester joins Dallas, Texas; Gainesville, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; and St. Paul, Minnesota in being competitively chosen for this opportunity.