$9.8M Awarded To The Emergency Food Assistance Program

PHOENIX⁠ — The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) was awarded $9.8M in funding from the federal government for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). TEFAP is a federally funded program that provides emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost to low-income individuals, including seniors.

“At a time when many Arizonans are out of work or underemployed due to COVID-19, these dollars will help ensure low-income individuals, families and seniors have access to nutritional meals,” said Governor Ducey. “We know there are many people out there needing help due to no fault of their own. We’re going to continue doing all we can to stretch the social safety net and make sure those needing assistance have access to it.”

The United States Department of Agriculture, which administers TEFAP nationwide, is providing the funding following the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Of the funding, $7.34 million will be dedicated to purchasing food, and $2.5 million will be used to help maximize the coordination and ability of regional food banks to store and distribute the food to TEFAP Distribution Sites. Income-eligible individuals can access the food at the Distribution Sites and will need to bring photo identification and proof of address. For more information about TEFAP, distribution sites and eligibility, click HERE.

Governor Ducey recently announced that Arizona received more than $5.3 million in grant funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help Arizona communities provide meals for older adults. The dollars will support both meal delivery programs and programs serving senior centers.

Last month, Governor Ducey announced $5 million in new resources to help Arizonans struggling to make rent due to COVID-19. The Governor also has provided an initial $1.7 million to support Arizona food banks, and supplement nutrition programs.

More information on Arizona actions related to COVID-19 can be found HERE.

View information on COVID-19, resources and volunteer opportunities at ArizonaTogether.org.