The Emergency Food Assistance Program Overview
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low income persons in Georgia, including the elderly, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost.
Under TEFAP commodity foods are made available to the states by the USDA United States Department of Agriculture. The states provide the food to local agencies they have selected for distribution to the needy. These agencies are Food Banks, Soup Kitchens and Food Pantries.
Food Banks subcontract with other organizations throughout the state, like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distribute food through brown bag programs to the elderly. Click here for more information.
Soup Kitchens provide meals to the needy and the homeless on a regular basis. Soup kitchens receive foods from the local food bank in their area for a small handling fee.
Food Pantries are any organization that distributes food to low income and unemployed households for home consumption. Food pantries receive commodity foods from the local food bank in their area for a small handling charge.
For more information on availability in your area, contact one of the food banks. For questions or concerns about TEFAP, please contact the state office at (404) 463-8042.