USDA: TEFAP & CSFP
Advocate for TEFAP
The desert region is especially vulnerable to food insecurity amid skyrocketing gas and grocery store prices and the increasing cost of living in California. FIND Food Bank relies on TEFAP to meet the heightened need for emergency food assistance during the prolonged economic and health crisis.
In 2020-21, California’s TEFAP allocations to FIND Food Bank were 2.29% of the total allocations – more than the densely populated, metropolitan San Francisco and Marin region at 2.10%. FIND’s service area in eastern Riverside County requires more food assistance and relief than San Francisco and Marin counties combined. While more families continue to turn to FIND due to the impact of inflation, supply chain shortages, and underemployment on the desert’s economy, we need a strong emergency food pipeline to ensure no one goes hungry.
USDA Contractor for Eastern Riverside County
FIND Food Bank is the USDA Contract Distributor for eastern Riverside County, working to strengthen the nutrition safety net by providing USDA foods and other nutrition assistance to low-income individuals, families, and seniors.
FIND selects agency subcontractors to distribute USDA commodities, including TEFAP and CSFP, to their respective communities.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program serving low-income households nutritious USDA Foods that also helps support American Agriculture.
Download TEFAP Income Guidelines 2021
See our list of agency subcontractors to find a food distribution site near you:
Commodity Supplemental Food Program
The CSFP works to improve the health of individuals at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods. CSFP is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded supplemental food program administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). The program provides USDA commodities to a network of ten food banks, including FIND Food Bank, to improve the health of seniors in California by providing them nutritious foods.
FIND subcontracts agencies, like senior centers, affordable senior living apartments and churches, to serve as the program site to distribute food packages to CSFP participants.
For a list of program sites, qualifications, and the application
As a retirement community, the Coachella Valley desert region represents another unusual demographic inconsistent with the Riverside County statistics. In stark contrast to the state of California with 19.2% seniors and Riverside County with 21.5% seniors, the Coachella Valley desert region has 29.3% seniors (HARC).