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The Emergency Food Assistance Program

Training2019-2020

*FBA & TEFAP sites are equal opportunity providers*

Introductions

Rebecca GuyerProgram & Agency Relations Coordinator

(907) 222-3100

rguyer@foodbankofalaska.org

Sandy MitchellProgram & Agency Relations Manager

(907) 222-3104

smitchell@foodbankofalaska.org

Welcome to the FY20 TEFAP Annual Training

Because of you, last year we served 550,344 individuals and 380,331 congregate meals!

Over 2.5 million pounds distributed!

Thank you for your dedication to TEFAP!

In your Packet

• FY20 Manual, Applications, Identification Cards• FY20 required TEFAP formsPlease sign and return:• Memorandum of Agreement• Capacity Survey• Acknowledgement Receipt of Materials Form• Debarment Form• DEC Permit Application (is available online at the State of Alaska website)• Civil Rights Confirmation Form• TEFAP FY20 Agreement

Training OverviewTopics:

• Overview of TEFAP in Alaska

• FBA’s Role

• Partner Agency Roles

• Client eligibility requirements

• Gathering a client base (signing people up)

• Distribution requirements

• Inventory management

• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

What is TEFAP

• TEFAP is a Federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income needy persons, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance.

• TEFAP helps support the agriculture industry by purchasing direct from farmers and ranchers to help regulate market prices. Individuals in needs then benefit by receiving this food through TEFAP distribution agencies.

How it Works

• The state uses entitlement funds to purchase food to

distribute to TEFAP organizations.

• Sometimes USDA bonus items are also available. Bonus is in

the form of funds to purchase or truckloads.

• This food is then sent to sites like Food Bank of Alaska (FBA)

that have a direct relationship with the state.

• FBA then allocates and ships out the product to agencies.

FBA Responsibilities

• Ordering TEFAP commodities

• Coordinating delivery

• Ensuring that commodities are handled properly by partner agencies

• Collecting and maintaining records and reports on all commodities distributed to eligible families and individuals

FBA Process

• FBA receives a list of food that the State has purchased.

• We place an order for how much of each commodity we would like.

• When products arrive in Seattle, FBA tells the shipping company how many items go to our direct ship sites (based on Fairshare).

• Upon receipt, FBA stores and ships/delivers the food to our Anchorage/Valley partners and the communities we ship to.

• Fairshare formula – we allocate quantities to sites based on the number of people served.

Agency Responsibilities

TEFAP agencies’ responsibilities:

• Counting, labeling, and recording inventory upon receipt

• Storing and maintaining inventory safely

• Distributing TEFAP commodities free of charge to individuals for home use, according to the program guidelines

• Maintaining client records and program paperwork.

• Ensuring all staff is trained in TEFAP, Food Safety, and Civil Rights

• Hanging the “And Justice for All” poster

Enrolling Clients

• Applications are done each year• October 1- September 30

• Clients can be of any size household

• Definition of a household- group of related or unrelated individuals who are living as one economic unit (i.e. using pooled resources to purchase food together)

Enrolling Clients – Eligibility Requirements

Self verification that they:

• Reside in Alaska (they do NOT have to be legal Alaska residents)

• Have an annual income at or below the current income guidelines.

Household Size Annual Income

1 $28,860

2 $39,091

3 $49,321

4 $59,552

5 $69,782

6 $80,013

7 $90,243

8* $100,474

*For each additional member add $10,231

Enrolling Clients – Income

Definition of Income-

• Money received by any member of the household before such deductions as taxes and Social Security.

• Includes salary or wages; earnings from self-employment, including fishing and farming; strike benefits, unemployment, and welfare (but not food stamp benefits); child support and alimony; Social Security, pensions, retirement and disability payments; Permanent Fund Dividend and other cash income received.

Enrolling Clients

• Households must fill out and sign an FBA TEFAP application and registration prior to receiving TEFAP commodities

• Households receiving TEFAP commodities must reapply annually in October of each year.

Federal Regulation 7 CFR

• In accordance with Federal Regulation 7 CFR Part 251.5(a)(3)(iv)(b)(1)(2)(3) The State of Alaska’s criteria for household TEFAP eligibility is that the household residence be within the state of Alaska and that the household income meets the State of Alaska’s income guidelines. Recipient agencies (food banks/pantry) must accept self-declaration as proof of income and residence status and must NOT require any further information such as picture identification or proof of address for households that are seeking the distribution of TEFAP donated foods. Recipient agencies may NOT deny TEFAP donated foods to household recipients due to lack of evidence of an address or photo identification.

Enrolling Clients

• Only one application per household may be processed

• The applicant (person that will be picking up the monthly allotment) must be listed on the first client line of the application

• If someone other than the applicant needs to pick up the monthly allotment for the household, the proxy must bring a written note from the applicant along with their ID to pick up the allotment

Enrolling Clients

• Categorical Eligibility• By participating in one of the programs below, clients are automatically

eligible for TEFAP due to having the same, or lower, income guidelines:• Food Stamp Program

• Temporary Assistance to Need Families (TANF)

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

• Applicants will select if they are on one or more of the programs on their application.

Inventory Management

• Inventory should last 3 months• Must distribute within 6 months• Anchorage/Valley sites – inventory left at FBA longer than three months

will be rolled into the Community Pot

• Food must be counted, dated, and clearly marked TEFAP upon delivery

• TEFAP foods must be stored separately from other food

• First In First Out (FIFO)

• Commodity loss:• Fill out a report of what happened and how much was lost.

• Submit letter of what plan is to ensure loss does not happen again.

Distribution Requirements

• New distribution guidelines for FY20

• MUST have pre-approval to distribute more than on the FY20 guidelines

• A household can receive TEFAP more than once a month at this time

Reporting and Record Keeping

• Monthly inventory reports and sign in distribution forms aredue by the 5th of every month to FBA.

• Considered delinquent on the 6th

• Access to TEFAP commodities will be suspended

• Multiple delinquent reports will result in hold or shut down status.

• You must maintain client applications, sign in distributionsheets & inventory sheets for 3 years plus current.

You must submit the Certification of Eligibility sheet with the inventory report each month! (except congregate sites)

Inventory Reports

• MIR instructions are on the second tab of the Excel

document in your packets

• Inventory should be hand counted between distributions

•The quantity at the end of the month should match the starting inventory of the next month

•The total distributed for each item on your MIR should match the totals from your sign in sheets.

Common Errors

• Ensure that you are recording the number of items distributed correctly.

• Ensure that the number you have on your inventory report is what you have on shelf.

• Only account for items lost or damaged in the “loss/gain” column.

Client Choice

Pantries have the option to use a client choice system.

• Clients choose the from items available

• Not exceeding the maximum number of each product as listed in Household Guidelines

Alternately, a pre-packed system can be used with a share table in which clients can trade food that they wont use for food that they will.

Food Safety

• All pantry managers and regular volunteers must have current food safety training on file with FBA.

• Municipality of Anchorage: Muni training or FBA (second Monday of the month at 2:30 pm in the FBA Conference Room)

• Outside of Anchorage: Food Worker card• http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/Food/GetHelp.html

• Keep in mind that as a pantry, you must fulfill any food safety requirements of any jurisdiction (city, borough, etc.) you are in as well.

Basic Food Safety

• Dry Storage: 50-70 Degrees F

• Cool Storage: 36-41 Degrees F

• Freeze Storage: -10-0 Degrees F

• Temp logs should be used

• Food Storage

• Protection from elements, fire, insects, rodents, birds, and theft

• Area should be clean and dry

• 6 inches off the floor

• 6 inches away from the wall

DEC Permit

• The State requires TEFAP sites to have DEC permits.

• Applications can be completed online. Please find your regional office here:

http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/Food/sanstaff.htm

•Once your organization has a permit, it should renew every year (the hard work is just on the first application).

• If you have questions about the DEC permit, please contact your regional DEC representative

Civil Rights

• All staff and volunteers must have training

• FBA can provide the PowerPoint, videos, quizzes, and completion forms.

• FBA must have up to date F20 forms

• Religious organizations must display the poster notifying recipients that they may request an alternate provider.

And Justice For All Poster & Written Notice Poster

*Only required for

religious organizations

Public Materials, Sources, Websites, etc. All information materials, sources, including websites used by TEFAP agencies to inform the public about TEFAP programs must contain a nondiscrimination statement. It is not required that the nondiscrimination statement be included on every page of the program information website. At the minimum, the nondiscrimination statement, or a link to it, must be included on the home page of the program information website. All printed material must also contain the nondiscrimination statement, however if the material is too small to permit the full statement to be included, the material will, at a minimum, include the statement in print no smaller than text, that “The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.” (FNS Civil Rights Instructions 113-1)

FY19 Sites

Thank you for your dedication to the TEFAP program!

Questions?

Rebecca GuyerProgram & Agency Relations Coordinator

(907) 222-3100

rguyer@foodbankofalaska.org

Sandy MitchellProgram & Agency Relations Manager

(907) 222-3104

smitchell@foodbankofalaska.org