CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More

Basic Needs: Food

    Results: 10

  • Christmas Meals (1)
    PH-2950.1500-200

    Christmas Meals

    PH-2950.1500-200

    Programs that provide a hot Christmas meal in a congregate setting for low-income and homeless individuals and families who might otherwise have no opportunity to celebrate the holidays. Also included are programs that deliver Christmas meals to people's homes.
  • Commodity Supplemental Food Program (1)
    BD-1800.1500

    Commodity Supplemental Food Program

    BD-1800.1500

    A federally funded program that works to improve the health of elderly people age 60 and older who meet income eligibility requirements by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods. The program provides food and administrative funds to states, typically departments of health, social services, education or agriculture. The state agencies store CSFP food and distribute it to local public and private, nonprofit organizations that determine the eligibility of applicants, distribute the food, and provide nutrition education.
  • Community Meals (1)
    BD-5000.1470

    Community Meals

    BD-5000.1470

    Programs that organizes suppers, lunches or other get-togethers that give community residents an opportunity to meet one another in a friendly and informal atmosphere while sharing a meal. Community meals are generally sponsored by churches, libraries and other local community organizations and coordinated by volunteers.
  • Emergency Food (1)
    BD-1800

    Emergency Food

    BD-1800

    Programs that provide a limited amount of food for individuals or families during times of personal crisis, or for people who have no food or cannot afford to purchase food at retail costs.
  • Food Pantries (4)
    BD-1800.2000

    Food Pantries

    BD-1800.2000

    Programs that acquire food products through donations, canned food drives, food bank programs or direct purchase and distribute the food to people who are in emergency situations. Some pantries deliver food to people whose disabilities or illnesses make it difficult for them to leave home.
  • Food Stamps/SNAP (1)
    NL-6000.2000

    Food Stamps/SNAP

    NL-6000.2000

    A federally-funded program administered locally by the county or the state that enables low-income and indigent households to obtain an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card similar to a bank debit card which can be used in most grocery stores to purchase food. Approved households are entitled to purchase a designated amount of food utilizing their cards based on net income and household size. Benefits are generally available in an EBT account within 30 days from the date an application was filed. Expedited food stamps are available within seven days for people who are in an emergency situation and whose income and spendable resources for that month are within specified limits.
  • Home Delivered Meals (3)
    BD-5000.3500

    Home Delivered Meals

    BD-5000.3500

    Programs that prepare and regularly deliver meals to older adults, people with disabilities and others who have difficulties shopping and/or preparing food for themselves or traveling to a site where a meal is being served.
  • Mobile Food Pantry Programs (1)
    BD-1800.5000

    Mobile Food Pantry Programs

    BD-1800.5000

    Programs sponsored in many communities by local food banks that distribute directly to clients who are unable to obtain adequate amounts of healthful food, particularly to people who live in low-income communities without reasonable access to a traditional food pantry as well as to college campuses where hunger among students is a growing problem. With the ability to travel, mobile food pantries can address food insecurity where it exists while finding homes for fresh, perishable food items including produce, grains, meat and dairy products before their shelf life expires and they go to waste. Mobile pantry agencies (generally churches or local nonprofits) may borrow an available parking lot, (e.g., a school's lot after hours), and after scheduling a mobile pantry distribution with their sponsoring food bank, they can leaflet the neighborhood or take other steps to announce to potential clients when and where the distribution will take place. When the truck carrying the food arrives, the host group's volunteers set up tables and load them with food. Clients may fill out short questionnaires or go through brief interviews, then walk around the truck like they would at a farmer's market and select the food they want to take home. When all of the clients have left, the volunteers load any leftovers back in the truck, leaving the parking lot as clean as it was when they arrived.
  • Soup Kitchens (3)
    BD-5000.8300

    Soup Kitchens

    BD-5000.8300

    Programs offered by churches, restaurants and other organizations that provide meals in a central location for people who lack the resources needed to buy and prepare food. The food may be distributed to people who line up for the meal or may be served to people seated in a dining hall setting, and participants rarely need to establish eligibility for the service.
  • WIC (1)
    NL-6000.9500

    WIC

    NL-6000.9500

    A public health nutrition program administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service that provides nutrition education, nutritious foods, breastfeeding support and health care referrals for income-eligible pregnant or postpartum women, infants and children up to age five. Foster parents, grandparents, guardians and single fathers who have custody of their children may also be eligible to receive food assistance for children up to age five if they meet income guidelines. WIC provides specific foods to supplement the dietary needs of participants to ensure good health and development. Food packages typically include iron-fortified infant cereal, milk, cheese, eggs, whole grains, peanut butter, beans, fruits, vegetables and juice. Families can shop for WIC foods at most grocery stores using a WIC electronic transfer benefit (EBT) card or vouchers.