USDA Commodity Foods

USDA Commodity Foods

Senior Boxes (CSFP)

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the health of low-income people at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods. CSFP food packages do not provide a complete diet, but rather are good sources of the nutrients typically lacking in the diets of older Mainers.

CSFP is administered at the Federal level by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Good Shepherd Food Bank prepares and distributes CSFP food boxes for the state of Maine. The Food Bank distributes between 6,000 – 9,000 CSFP food boxes each month to partner agencies across the state.

Volunteers packing CSFP boxes with canned food in the Hannaford Center, Hampden Distribution warehouse.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a USDA commodity food program for low-income families. The Maine Department of Agriculture and Good Shepherd Food Bank work together to distribute commodity items such as mixed fruit, walnuts, asparagus, salmon, frozen orange juice, strawberries, and more to local hunger relief agencies statewide.

Clients choose from fruit at a GSFB partner agency.

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