TEFAP

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TEFAP – The Emergency Food Assistance Program

What is TEFAP?
TEFAP is a Federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income needy persons, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance.

Commodity Distribution
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers TEFAP through grants to individual States. The USDA buys the food, including processing and packaging, and ships it to the States. The amount received by each State depends on its low-income and unemployed population. State agencies work out details of administration and distribution. They select local organizations that either directly distribute to households, or serve meals, or distribute to other local organizations that perform these functions.

Colorado Food Distribution Programs
The Colorado Department of Human Services, (CDHS), Food Distribution Program, is responsible for administering the receipt, warehousing, and distribution of USDA commodities to eligible agencies. Colorado has a commercial distribution system. Through the state bid process, the state contracts with one or more distributors to receive, store, and distribute USDA commodities to eligible agencies for a bid price per case. Through these distributor(s), FDP provides the food to local agencies that we have selected, usually food banks. The food banks in turn distribute the food to soup kitchens and food pantries that directly serve the public.

The state is divided into three service regions or zones to provide for equitable distribution of commodities. Effective July 1, 2007, the Colorado Food Bank Association is the State-contracted distributor for all participating agencies throughout the State of Colorado.

The bid price per case is based on the method of delivery selected by the agency. Agencies choose their method of delivery or pick up, in April or May of each year. This method is effective for the entire school year (July - June).

The price per case is increased or decreased annually each October in accordance with Consumer Price Index, Mountain Plains Region, All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), Denver Index, All Items.

Colorado State eligibility criteria for TEFAP
Each State sets criteria for determining what households are eligible to receive food for home consumption. The Income Criteria for Colorado is set at 185% of the Federal Poverty Level – and is shown in the table below.

State of Colorado TEFAP 2008-2009 Income Guidelines Effective April 1st, 2009 185% of Poverty
Federal Poverty Guidelines - 100%	Colorado TEFAP - 185%

Household Size	Annual Income	Weekly Income	Monthly Income	Annual Income
1	$10,830	$386	$1,670	$20,036
2	14,570	519	2,247	26,955
3	18,310	652	2,823	33,874
4	22,050	785	3,400	40,793
5	25,790	918	3,976	47,712
6	29,530	1,051	4,553	54,631
7	33,270	1,184	5,130	61,550
8	37,010	1,317	5,706	68,469
For each additional member, add	$3,740	$134	$577	$6,919

Soup Kitchens Locations in the State of Colorado

Colorado TEFAP Agency Locations

Useful Links to TEFAP Internet Web Sites
Link	Comments
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/tefap/ tefap_rptspubs.htm	TEFAP Publications available through the USDA
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/tefap/ cfs_tefap.htm	TEFAP Commodity Food Facts and Recipes
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/recipes/ hp_cookbooks.htm	Cookbooks and Recipes for Household Programs