Help Paying for Food Bank Groceries: How TEFAP Works
A lot of the canned vegetables, rice, milk and chicken at your local food pantry come from one federal program: TEFAP, The Emergency Food Assistance Program. It's free, it doesn't use an application like SNAP's, and the rules about who can get food are more generous than most people think.
AT A GLANCE
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How TEFAP gets food to your neighborhood
USDA buys American-grown food and sends it to a TEFAP agency in each state, plus D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. The state agency picks local partners, usually regional food banks. Those food banks pass the food to the places you actually visit, like pantries, soup kitchens and community action agencies. Some community action agencies hand food directly to families.
How much food a state gets depends on two numbers: how many people in the state are unemployed, and how many live below the poverty line. States also get administrative money to store and move the food, and part of it has to go to local agencies.
When there isn't enough to go around, the regulation (7 CFR 251.4) tells states who comes first. Emergency feeding organizations, such as pantries and soup kitchens that serve people in urgent need, get first priority. Other agencies that serve low-income people get what's left.
Step | Who | What happens |
|---|---|---|
1 | USDA | Buys food from U.S. producers and allocates it to states |
2 | State distributing agency | Chooses local partners and sets the household income rules |
3 | Regional food bank | Stores the food and sends it to member pantries and kitchens |
4 | Pantry, soup kitchen or community agency | Gives groceries to households or serves meals |
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Who can get TEFAP food
There are two ways to get TEFAP food, and they have different rules.
Groceries to take home
If a pantry gives you a bag or box of TEFAP food to take home, your household has to meet the statewide eligibility criteria set by your state's TEFAP agency. USDA leaves the details to each state, but the 2024 update to the regulation (7 CFR 251.5) sets some guardrails:
The rules must include an income limit set at or between 185% and 300% of the federal poverty guidelines published each year by HHS. A state can ask USDA to approve an even higher limit.
States may also let you qualify because you already take part in another income-based food, health or welfare program. USDA's applicant page says this applies "in some states," so ask which programs your state counts.
You have to live in the area the state agency serves when you ask for help.
States can't use how long you've lived there, your address, or identification documents as an eligibility test.
That last rule matters. A pantry may still ask for ID or a utility bill for other food it hands out. For federal TEFAP food, though, a lack of ID or proof of address shouldn't be what keeps you from qualifying. If you're turned away for that reason, ask to speak with the pantry coordinator or contact your regional food bank.
Meals at a soup kitchen or shelter
For prepared meals served on site, there's no income test. These organizations have already shown the state that they mainly serve people in need. States can't make them run a means test or keep records just to prove that their guests are needy.
For meals served in a group setting, you do not have to meet an income level, because the organizations serving them have already shown that they mainly serve people with low income.
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What you'll be asked at a pantry
For take-home food, each distribution site has to keep a basic record for every household. Under 7 CFR 251.10, the record includes:
The name of the person picking up the food
How many people are in the household
The basis for deciding the household is eligible, such as an income statement or participation in another program
Many pantries handle this with a short sign-in sheet or a self-declaration form. Your state's rules decide how you show you're eligible, so the form looks different from place to place.
Your information is protected
The regulation treats anything that identifies you or your family as confidential. Pantries and state agencies can share it only with people who run or enforce the program. If you agree, they can share it with other health or welfare programs to check whether you qualify there too. Those programs have to sign an agreement not to pass it on.
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What kind of food TEFAP provides
USDA says more than 130 products are available. State agencies order from that list based on what they want and what's available on the market. So what you see at your pantry depends on your state's orders and the season.
The FY 2027 list, updated October 16, 2026, includes items like these:
Food group | Examples on the FY 2027 TEFAP list |
|---|---|
Fruits | Fresh apples, oranges and pears; canned peaches; frozen blueberries; raisins; 100% juices |
Vegetables | Canned green beans, corn and peas; fresh potatoes and sweet potatoes; low-sodium spaghetti sauce |
Beans and lentils | Dry and canned black, pinto and kidney beans; lentils; split peas |
Protein | Frozen chicken, canned salmon, eggs, ground beef, peanut butter, frozen fish fillets |
Dairy | Fresh and shelf-stable milk, cheddar cheese, high-protein yogurt |
Grains | Rice, pasta, rolled oats, flour, cornmeal, grits, whole-grain tortillas, cereal |
Some items come in kosher or halal versions. USDA posts product information sheets with storage tips and recipes for each food, which helps if you get something unfamiliar like dried egg mix or bakery mix.
On top of what Congress pays for, USDA sometimes buys extra "bonus" food to support farmers and sends it through TEFAP. That's why pantry shelves can suddenly fill up with one product for a few weeks.
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TEFAP compared with other food help
Program | Who it serves | How you get it | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|---|
TEFAP | Households under the state income limit, plus anyone at a soup kitchen | Food pantries, soup kitchens, mobile distributions | Short eligibility record at take-home sites, none for meals |
CSFP | Adults 60 and older with low income | A monthly food box from a local agency | Enrollment and recertification |
SNAP | Households that pass SNAP's income and resource rules | Monthly EBT card for grocery stores | Full application through your state SNAP office |
You can use TEFAP even if you get SNAP or CSFP. They're separate programs, and USDA notes that TEFAP recipients may qualify for other nutrition programs too.
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How to find a TEFAP pantry
Look up your state's TEFAP list. Since the 2024 rule, each state must post every partner agency's name, address and phone number on a public web page. It must also post the state's eligibility rules. The list must be updated at least once a year.
Or ask your regional food bank. Food banks are usually the state's main TEFAP partners, and their pantry locators show nearby sites and hours.
Call ahead. Ask which days the pantry hands out TEFAP food, whether you need to sign up in advance, and how they check eligibility.
Bring what helps but isn't required. A benefit letter or pay stub can make the eligibility step faster. Remember that ID and proof of address can't be the eligibility test for TEFAP food.
If you're stuck, contact the state agency. USDA's applicant page says to contact your state distributing agency. Its state contact list is linked from the TEFAP pages.
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Before you go
☐ The pantry's distribution days and hours
☐ The number of people in your household
☐ Proof of another benefit, like a SNAP or Medicaid letter, if your state accepts it
☐ A rough figure for your household's monthly income
☐ Bags, a cart or a cooler for frozen and fresh items
☐ Any dietary needs, such as kosher, halal or low-sodium, so you can ask what's available
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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More help
Related guides
Official sources
Last checked: October 30, 2026. Program structure comes from the FNS TEFAP fact sheet and applicant page. Eligibility, public posting, recordkeeping and confidentiality rules come from 7 CFR 251.4, 251.5 and 251.10. Food examples come from the FY 2027 foods list.
Each state sets its own TEFAP income limit and decides how households show eligibility. Your pantry or state agency can tell you the current figure.
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