USDA Food Programs

“The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses tax dollars to purchase these foods. Then the food is put on an ordering platform that Food Banks can choose from. Each Food Bank is given an allotted amount of funds (or credit) to use to acquire the food from the platform. Food Banks order about 6 months in advance, so we do our best to stretch those funds and get food that we know our neighbors will want.

Sometimes the government will also make additional product available beyond this called “bonus.” The bonus product can be meats, dairy, fresh produce, etc. USDA wants states and Food Banks to take their fair share of the bonus product, so they strongly encourage us to take it.

State allocations are based on the number of unemployed persons and the number of people with incomes below the poverty level in the state.

Each Food Bank is allotted an amount of funding to use to purchase product. This amount is derived from the number of individuals and households served in comparison to the other Food Banks in the state.”

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

“USDA started this program to provide supplemental foods to low-income seniors 60+. These foods contain nutrients that are typically missing from seniors’ daily diets. A variety of shelf stable items are included in the box each month: fruits (including juice), vegetables, grains/cereals, dairy, meat protein, and plant-based protein. Apart from the food, the box supplies nutritional information as well as other resources available to seniors.

For fiscal year 2024, there is a caseload of 731,993 seniors who have access to this program throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and seven Indian Tribal Organizations. Each state is given an allocation, and within that, each organization distributing CSFP within a state is given a caseload. Caseload equals one qualifying senior. That senior receives one box each month for 36 months as long as they consistently take it.”

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: