Participant Eligibility
Requirements:
(a) Public or private nonprofit organizations
that provide food and nutrition assistance to the needy through
the distribution of food for home use or the preparation of
meals. Please note the following:
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Organizations
that distribute food for home use must determine the
household's eligibility by applying income standards.
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Organizations
that provide prepared meals are eligible to receive
commodities if they can demonstrate that they serve
predominately needy persons.
(b) Households
that meet State eligibility criteria. Each State sets
criteria for determining what households are eligible to
receive food for home consumption. Income standards may,
at the State’s discretion, be met through participation
in other existing Federal, State, or local food, health,
or welfare programs for which eligibility is based on
income.
States can
adjust the income criteria in order to ensure that
assistance is provided only to those households most in
need. However, recipients of prepared meals are considered
to be needy and are not subject to a means test.
(c) Homeless people, including low-income senior
citizens are eligible to participate in TEFAP.
Homeless people can receive prepared meals served in a
congregate setting without submitting an application.
However, homeless people must meet State income
eligibility requirements in order to receive TEFAP food
that is not served in prepared meals.
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