The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Distributing food to local food banks.

Food made available to supplement the diets of low-income Mississippians at no cost.

What We Do

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost.

Through TEFAP, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases a variety of nutritious, high-quality USDA Foods, and makes those foods available to State Distributing Agencies, including the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

MDHS provides the food to local agencies like food banks, which in turn distribute the food to local organizations, such as soup kitchens and food pantries that directly serve the public.

In Mississippi, MDHS partners with the following organizations to distribute food through TEFAP:

Mid-South Food Bank
3865 S Perkins Rd,
Memphis, TN 38118
(901) 527-0841

Mississippi Food Network
440 W Beatty St,
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 353-7286

Catholic Social Community Services
1450 North Street,
Gulfport, MS 39501
(228) 701-0555

MID-South food bank

Mississippi Food network

Catholic charities of south ms

TEFAP Eligibility Criteria

TEFAP eligibility will be determined based on households being categorically eligible if they receive:

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
2. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);
3. Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
4. Medicaid; or
5. Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

If the participant is not categorically eligible, they can qualify based on self-declaration that the household income falls below 185 percent (185%) of the poverty income level.

The applicant will self-declare their identity, and provide their ZIP code, to confirm that they reside in the state of Mississippi as of the date of completing their application.