The Emergency Food Assistance Program | Capital Area Food Bank
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The Emergency Food Assistance Program

Through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), we’re able to provide our partners with USDA commodity food items at no cost, greatly increasing the amount of food that reaches our community.

What The Emergency Food Assistance Program Provides

The TEFAP program allows us to increase the amount of food we source. TEFAP items include a wide variety of shelf-stable products, as well as fresh foods such as milk, eggs, and proteins. The program is a vital part of hunger relief in our region and across the nation.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) background and process

TEFAP operates through the combined efforts of federal, state, local government and non-governmental agencies to reach the individuals in a community who are the most in need. First, each year, all states are assigned a specified dollar amount of TEFAP food to “purchase” according to the number of their unemployed and low-income populations. Then, State Agencies partner with organizations such as the Capital Area Food Bank and its partners to distribute this food to address the needs of citizens. TEFAP, in addition to the other programs offered by the Capital Area Food Bank, helps alleviate food insecurity by being an additional assurance that individuals will not be hungry regardless of their current financial circumstances.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Help people in need.

To deliver millions of meals a year to people in need across our region, we rely on community members like you. Every dollar you donate helps us provide 2 meals to people in need.

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