The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Through TEFAP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases USDA Foods, including processing and packaging, and makes it available to State Distributing Agencies. The amount of food that each State receives out of the total amount of food that is provided is based on the number of unemployed persons and the number of people with incomes below the poverty level in the State. States provide the food to local agencies that they have selected, usually food banks, which in turn, distribute the food to local organizations such as soup kitchens and food pantries that directly serve the public.

• Overview of TEFAP in New York State

Contact Your Regional Food Bank

The table below shows the coverage area by county for each of the eight regional food banks in New York State. If you need emergency food assistance, please call the food bank in your county. The food bank will assist you in finding the nearest food pantry.

Effective January 2023, the New York State TEFAP eligibility guidelines concerning products for household consumption were updated to at or below 225% of the federal income poverty levels. The table below has been updated to reflect this change.

Recipients are also categorically eligible for TEFAP products for household consumption if they participate in one or more of the following programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Note for Food Banks and Pantries

• The information on these new guidelines will need to be distributed to all TEFAP Recipient Agencies (RA). RAs may elect to include this information on their intake forms and may also update income posters at distribution sites.
• Food banks will need to inform all TEFAP Recipient Agencies (Food Pantries) of the attestation requirement [Part 251.5(b)]. TEFAP recipients must attest to eligibility at each distribution.
• Attestations should be completed and submitted to the food pantry in which recipients are receiving TEFAP foods. Download the TEFAP Attestation Form:
  • Arabic (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Bengali (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Chinese – Simple (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Chinese – Traditional (TEFAP Attestation)
  • English (TEFAP Attestation)
  • French (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Haitian-Creole (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Italian (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Korean (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Pashto (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Polish (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Russian (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Spanish (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Ukrainian (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Urdu (TEFAP Attestation)
  • Yiddish (TEFAP Attestation)

Reporting

• Annual Financial Reports: Food banks are required to submit Financial Reports to OGS every year no later than nine months from the fiscal year end. The TEFAP fiscal year mirrors the federal fiscal year, which runs October 1 – September 30.
• Monthly Performance Report: Food banks are required to submit a monthly performance report. The report must be received by OGS no later than the 10th of the month following the month being reported on. The report must include: beginning commodity/material codes; adjustment column for damages; best by or use by dates; and remaining balance.
• Food Bank Recipient Agency List: A current list of all food bank recipient agencies must be sent to OGS once a year.
• WBSCM Receipting: Receipting in WBSCM of all USDA commodities must be completed within two calendar days. (FNS 709-5 Rev 3 Shipment and Receipt of USDA Foods)
• Administrative Claim Form: A claim form must be sent each month to receive administrative funding.
• Food bank contact information must be kept up-to-date with the OGS TEFAP Specialist, including contact information for back-up personnel for timely issues such as commodity ordering.
• Food banks should not have more than a six-month inventory of USDA Foods and food banks should be distributing USDA Foods in less than six months from the date of receipt and well before it’s best-by date.

Damage Reporting

• All damages must be reported and approved by the OGS TEFAP Specialist before discarding.
• A Commodity Complaint Form must be completed for all hidden damage and sent to OGS.
• A Commodity Damage Report must be completed for all warehouse damage and sent to OGS.

Physical Inventories of Food Banks

The Office of General Services is federally-mandated to complete a facility review and physical inventory of USDA Foods at all New York State Food Banks at least once annually.

Prior to our arrival please ensure:

1. You have completed your physical count of the number of cases in inventory;
2. USDA foods are segregated from commercial foods as practicable and/or clearly identifiable, viewable, and accessible for counting; and
3. Book inventory reports are complete and up-to-date.

Upon our arrival:

1. Please provide a copy of your current book inventory. (This book inventory/report will contain USDA commodity names, USDA codes, quantity and bin location.)
2. Please have a member of your staff and necessary equipment available to assist with the count;
3. Be prepared to compare your inventory numbers against our counts; and
4. Be prepared to recount any differences (we must agree to the number of cases in stock).
5. Have a food bank representative available to sign off on the physical count. (Should there be discrepancies, the food bank representative will sign the report and make the necessary notations regarding these discrepancies.)

If Food Distribution staff is unable to conduct the physical inventory due to the points above, the appointment will be terminated and the food bank will be held liable for the travel expenses of OGS staff.

Also, please have a complete listing of your recipient agencies and contact information available. We will be conducting RA reviews while in the area, as time permits.

New York State Policy

• TEFAP New York State Plan

All food banks in New York will need to read, understand and apply all USDA policies as outlined in FNS-113-1.

Civil Rights Training Slideshow

On December 5, 2022, the USDA published a Request for Applications (RFA) on Grants.gov, outlining the processes that The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) State agencies must follow in order to apply for Round 2 TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant funding.  TEFAP Reach and Resiliency--Round 2 grants have the same key objective as Round 1 grants; thus they are intended to expand TEFAP reach into remote, rural, Tribal, and/or low-income areas that are underserved by the (TEFAP) program.  At this time, $60.58 million in grant funding is being made available to TEFAP State agencies on a competitive basis. New York State has provided the USDA with a letter of intent to apply for our maximum allotment. Food banks must submit a proposal to OGS Food Distribution to be considered for these funds. Below is important information for food banks.

• Important Dates
  • Food bank letter of intent due to OGS Food Distribution by January 6, 2023.
  • Food bank proposals due to OGS Food Distribution by 4:00 pm January 27, 2023.
  • New York State's application due to the USDA by March 6, 2023.
  • OGS will notify food banks by March 6, 2023, of the portion of food bank proposals that OGS included in its application to the USDA.
• Important Documents
  • Food bank application template
  • OGS webinar held January 5, 2023
  • Slide deck from OGS webinar
  • Questions & Answers
  • USDA’s Request for Applications (RFA) – for reference only – OGS will submit this to the USDA
• Important links
  • USDA Reach & Resiliency webpage
  • Grants.Gov Reach & Resiliency webpage

• Guidance for Checking Ambient Transport Temperature
• FD-104 Value of USDA Donated Foods for Audits (Revised)
• FD-036: Local-Level Record Keeping Requirements
• FD-041: Distribution of TEFAP Foods to Children
• FD 138: TEFAP - Written Notice and Referral Requirements
• 7 CFR Part 16: Clarification for Faith-Based Organizations Operating the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
• USDA Foods Program Disaster Manual
• FD 093: FDP Q & A about Disaster Policies and Procedures
• FD 017: TEFAP - Meals Provided to Volunteers
• FD 037: TEFAP - OMB Uniform Guidance Audit Requirements
• FNS Instructions 716-3 Rev. 1 TEFAP - Administrative Costs
• FNS Instructions 410-1 Rev. 2 Claims for Losses of Donated Foods and Related Administrative Losses
• FD Memo #002-2018 Revised Policy Memorandum FD-107 Storage, Distribution, & Product Dates.