USDA/TDA Information

USDA/TDA Useful Documents

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

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 assistance at no cost. It provides food and administrative funds to States to supplement the diets of these groups.

What's the Connection?

USDA buys the food, including processing and packaging, and ships it to the states.

TEFAP is administered at the Federal level by the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service. State agencies receive the food and supervise overall distribution. TDA supervises policies, procedures and sets eligibility guidelines.

NTFB implements policies, procedures and ensures all eligibility guidelines are being met through the entire network.

Civil Rights Training

As a requirement of TDA/USDA, all volunteers and staff assisting with food and nutrition service programs will need Civil Rights training annually. Signed documentation acknowledging an understanding of the outline policies and procedures are to be kept on file for two years for all staff and volunteers that come into direct contact with clients receiving assistance.

For individual use:

USDA/TDA Disclaimer Policy

This statement must be included on all your applications, sign-in sheets, pamphlets or flyers in its entirety. The agency must place the statement in English and offer a Spanish version if necessary. This statement expresses that your agency doesn't discriminate against clients. The agency must include the statement in the following ways:

  • Post in English.
  • The empty lines and extra spaces can be reformatted. The content of the nondiscrimination statement cannot be modified.
  • The nondiscrimination statement should be placed in a prominent location on the flyer along with the content of the flyer. If the document must be printed on one page and spacing is an issue, the shortened non-discrimination policy can be used. The statement must be in a print size no smaller than the text.
  • A nondiscrimination statement is not required to be imprinted on items such as cups, buttons, magnets, and pens that identify the program when the size or configuration makes it impractical.
  • In addition, recognizing that Internet, radio, and television public service announcements are generally short in duration, the nondiscrimination statement does not have to be read in its entirety. Rather, a statement such as "The [program name] is an equal opportunity provider" is sufficient to meet the nondiscrimination requirement. 
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