The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, is a federal program that allows us to distribute USDA commodities (meats, grains, canned fruits and veggies and more). The food provided by TEFAP is critical to our operations, providing 28 percent of the food we distribute to our Partner Agencies. Food banks and agencies serving low-income families across the nation rely on the $50 million program, funded through the Farm Bill, to keep communities healthy and prevent hunger.
We just learned that those funds may disappear, and we need you to act now.
Congress has not completed its work and will likely have to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government running past the end of the federal fiscal year. The proposed CR will likely fund the government at the previous year’s levels—before the Farm Bill was passed. That means we don’t know if the funds that help stock nearly a third of our inventory will vanish.
Please call both your senators and your representative today, September 11, and help us make sure every Member of Congress is aware of this important issue.
Calling Congress is easy! Here’s how:
- Call our advocacy hotline at 888-398-8702
- Listen to the pre-recorded message and enter your zip code when prompted. Once you are connected, state that you are a constituent and give your name and your hometown. Be sure to let them know you are a friend of Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.
- Let them know you are calling about the Continuing Resolution and deliver this important message:
I am calling from about a matter of critical importance to our food bank, Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. As you finalize the Continuing Resolution, please make sure the increase in TEFAP funding from the 2014 Farm Bill is included in the final bill.
Be sure to dial back so you can speak with both of your senators and your representative.
Thank you for your advocacy! Please let us know if you have any questions.
