Join Us for an Upcoming Webinar: Supporting Kosher and Halal-Observant Communities Through TEFAP
On April 27, 2023, from 2:00-3:30 pm EDT, FNS will host a webinar titled, Supporting Kosher and Halal-Observant Communities Through TEFAP. This webinar will provide State agencies and food banks with information about how TEFAP can support cultural and religious practices around food, particularly those serving kosher and halal observant communities. The webinar will feature panelists from State agencies and food banks who have successfully implemented processes to serve these specific communities. They will share best practices about how to operationalize the process and the impact on storage, staffing, and distribution efforts. FNS has identified panelists that exhibit innovative and supportive practices that address the needs of kosher and halal observant communities through TEFAP to present on the webinar. FNS will use this webinar as an opportunity to further engage TEFAP stakeholders and help them establish next steps that can be implemented to better serve these communities. Registration is required, and attendees can register for the webinar here. This webinar will be recorded and made available at a later date. We hope to see you there!
|
Celebrate National Nutrition Month! Fuel for the Future
March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is "Fuel for the Future." There are many ways to celebrate this theme with USDA Foods programs. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provide nutritious USDA Foods to diverse communities and individuals of different ages and backgrounds, providing nourishment during every phase of life. Incorporate USDA Foods with the following key concepts to promote a healthier lifestyle and future:
1. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. USDA Foods programs offer a variety of fruits and vegetables in different forms, including fresh, frozen, canned, and dried. Add fruits and vegetables to meals and snacks for added color and nutrients.
2. Make at least half your grains whole grains. Choose whole grain USDA Foods such as whole grain pasta, brown rice, oats, and whole grain tortillas for added fiber and nutrients to support a healthy digestive system.
3. Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. USDA Foods programs offer only fat-free and low-fat dairy products that have fewer calories and fat while providing key nutrients like calcium and Vitamin D, which strengthens bones and teeth.
4. Vary your protein choices. There are many protein options available through USDA Foods, including fish, eggs, beans, nuts, beef, pork, and poultry. Eat a variety of protein foods to get more of the nutrients your body needs.
5. Cook more often at home, where you are in control of what's in your food. Need some inspiration on what to make with your USDA Foods? Check out USDA Foods Product Information Sheets and Recipes and Cookbooks in the CSFP Sharing Gallery for ideas on how to use your USDA Foods in healthy recipes at home.
|
Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides eligible low-income households a subsidy of up to $30 per month on internet service plans offered by participating internet service providers and up to $75 per month for eligible households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
Households with income at or below 200% of the poverty level are eligible for the subsidy—about 30 million households, or one in four of all households in the US. However, households are also automatically eligible for the ACP—without the need to prove their income—if at least one member of the household is receiving benefits from certain government assistance programs, including FDPIR.
The Biden-Harris Administration has secured commitments from many of the nation’s top internet service providers to offer high-speed internet plans to ACP-eligible households for $30 or less, with no other fees and no data caps. ACP-eligible households that choose to pair the ACP subsidy with one of these plans will be able to obtain high-speed internet with no out-of-pocket costs—meaning millions of low-income households will be able to obtain high-speed internet at no cost.
Learn more at GetInternet.Gov
CSFP: Caseload Assignments for the 2023 Caseload Cycle
On January 17, 2023, FNS released the 2023 Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Final Caseload Memorandum, which allocated a national caseload of 760,547 for the 2023 caseload cycle (January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023). This is equal to the 2022 final national caseload level. FNS assigns caseload in accordance with program regulations at 7 CFR 247.21 and annual appropriations legislation. In fiscal year 2023, CSFP is funded at $338.64 million.
Current resources were sufficient to support each State and Indian Tribal Organization’s (ITO’s) base caseload for the 2023 caseload cycle. Additionally, because several States and ITOs did not fully use their 2022 assigned caseload, 72,956 additional caseload slots were first allocated among all eligible State agencies, which received their full additional caseload requests. The remaining share of caseload was awarded on a pro rata basis to State agencies and ITOs which requested additional caseload with a COVID-19 justification but did not meet the 95 percent requirement.
|
CSFP: Income Guidelines for 2023
On January 26, 2023, FNS released the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP): Income Guidelines for 2023 memorandum, which transmits the 2023 Income Guidelines for States Agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) in determining the eligibility of individuals applying to participate in CSFP.
New WBSCM Features for State Distributing Agencies
With the January 2023 release, the following Web-based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) features are now available to support State Distributing Agencies (SDAs) who have rolled down WBSCM to their respective recipient agencies (RAs):
-
SDA to RA Forum: Message board functionality is now available to SDAs to communicate within their WBSCM user community, including their RAs and Co-Ops, via announcements and threaded discussion. An SDA’s forum will not be visible to other SDA organizations in WBSCM. Settings are available for users to receive email notification of new posts. To discuss setting up a forum for their organization, SDAs should contact the WBSCM Service Desk.
-
Expanded Selection Options when Assigning Catalog to RA: Previously, when selecting RAs to assign to a catalog, the SDA could only search by Organization Name and Program. Search criteria have been expanded to include Additional Name, Zone, County, and City. This will allow SDAs to search, sort, and filter the list of RAs to assign catalogs based on region or other identifiers that may not be part of the RA’s name in WBSCM.
 SDAs who are thinking about extending WBSCM to their RAs can contact the FNS Technology Branch. Upon request, a resource is available with questions and considerations to help inform the decision and planning process.
All monthly changes are documented in the Release Notes, which may be accessed in WBSCM at Help > Training > Release Notes.
For questions about WBSCM, please contact the WBSCM Service Desk or call (877) 927-2648.
The next WBSCM release is scheduled for Thursday, March 30, 2023.
|
