FNS Documents & Resources

USDA is working tirelessly to tackle food and nutrition insecurity. Dr. Caree Cotwright, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, reflects on progress and work ahead to advance food and nutrition security. 

FNS hosted a webinar to 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 featured panelists from state agencies and food banks who have successfully implemented processes to serve these specific communities.

FNS hosted a second webinar to provide program stakeholders with additional information on supporting kosher observant communities through TEFAP. 

This webinar discusses the current programs available to provide food and administrative funds for state agencies to support food banks and emergency feeding programs. The presentation provides an overview of resources available to The Emergency Food Assistance Program, including Congressionally appropriated program funds, Section 32 bonus foods, and the recent commitment from USDA to provide additional food and administrative support using the Commodity Credit Corporation. We also highlight the Reach and Resiliency grant opportunity and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program.

We discuss information and resources provided in the revised USDA Foods in Disaster Manual, June 2021 to help you be prepared for the use of USDA Foods in disasters, emergencies and situations of distress

This webinar is intended for state distributing agencies and FNS regional office staff and highlights how USDA Foods may be used in congregate feeding or disaster household distribution during a disaster, emergency, or situation of distress response. We discuss the importance of planning, preparation and communication before, during and after a disaster response.

In this webinar, we discuss what actions you can take and the resources available to be better prepared for a disaster when utilizing USDA Foods.

This webinar will provide you with an overview of FY 17 Farm to School Grant requirements and next steps including, key farm to school contacts, available resources to support your farm to school work, financial systems and reporting requirements.

In this webinar, the sixth in this series, USDA's Farm to School Team discusses how schools can purchase local products through distributors. A food service director from Tennessee and a farm to school coordinator from Georgia share how they've been able to work with distributors to buy local foods.

By Sasha McNair, Governmental Affairs Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service