The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a Federal Program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition at no cost. It provides food and administrative funds to States to supplement the diets of these groups. The state, in turn, allocates commodities to each county based on poverty level and unemployment rates. The CFWMC has been designated by the Mercer County Commissioners as the lead agency for this program. To ensure that all commodities are distributed to eligible residents of Mercer County, USDA establishes both program and eligibility criteria. A memorandum of understanding is signed between the CFWMC and eligible emergency food assistance pantries.

 

All pantries must:

 

· Maintain a process to register eligible clients who receive emergency food assistance.

· Report on a monthly basis to the CFWMC the number of unduplicated individuals served within the category of eligibility.

· Ensure that records will be maintained to track any food items received under TEFAP.

·Shall not discriminate in any fashion in providing assistance to all who are eligible.