The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) supports Tennessee food banks and affiliated agencies with USDA Foods and distribution support to help households in need access food and prepared meals.
Funder: Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Due Dates: No application deadline stated
Funding Amounts: USDA Foods; administrative funds support storage and distribution
Summary: TEFAP supplies Tennessee food banks and affiliated agencies with food and distribution support for households in need.
Key Information: Recipient food banks must be Feeding America affiliates and 501(c)(3) organizations.
Description
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program administered in Tennessee by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA). USDA makes commodity foods available to states to supplement the diets of people in need, including older adults, at no cost. Each state’s share is based on unemployment and the number of people with incomes below the poverty level.
TDA supplies USDA Foods to five food banks and their affiliated agencies across Tennessee. They distribute food to eligible households and to local organizations, including food pantries and soup kitchens, that provide food for home consumption or prepare and serve meals. TDA also passes most of the state’s TEFAP administrative funds to local agencies to support food storage and distribution.
