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The Emergency Food Assistance Program

About the Program

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a Federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost.

Under TEFAP, commodity foods are made available by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to States. States provide the food to local agencies that they have selected to distribute the food to soup kitchens and food pantries that directly serve the public.

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Household Distribution

Many agencies in Alaska are authorized to distribute TEFAP commodities for household distribution. To be eligible, households must be at or below 300% of the current federal poverty guidelines or be eligible for programs such as Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or Low-income Energy Assistance Program. Most household distribution programs are administered through the Food Bank of Alaska.

Congregate Feeding

Agencies who provide prepared meals to needy people in a congregate setting such as a homeless shelter or soup kitchen are also eligible to participate in the TEFAP program. Organizations do not have to verify participant income, so long as the agency serves predominately needy people. Congregate feeding sites are administered directly through Child Nutrition Services. Contact state agency staff for more information.