Community and National Resources for Social Determinants of Health in Rural Populations: Food Assistance Resources

USDA National Hunger Hotline

By phone: 1-866-3-HUNGRY

By text: 914-342-7744

Hours: 7AM-10PM

Available Programs

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move toward self-sufficiency.
• The Emergency Food Assistance Program: TEFAP helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost.  
• Child and Adult Care Food Program: CACFP is a federal program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers. 
• Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program: SFMNP is designed to provide low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs; increase the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities through farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agricultural programs; and aid in the development of new and additional farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agricultural programs. 
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program: CSFP works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. USDA distributes both food and administrative funds to participating states and Indian Tribal Organizations to operate CSFP.
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: WIC provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.
• WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition: FMNP is associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, popularly known as WIC. Eligible WIC participants are issues FMNP coupons in addition to their regular WIC benefits. These coupons can be used to buy eligible foods from farmers, farmers markets, or roadside stands that have been approved by the state agency to accept FMNP coupons.
• National School Lunch Program: NSLP is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
• School Breakfast Program: SBP provides reimbursement to states to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. The Food and Nutrition Service administers the SBP at the federal level. State education agencies administer the SBP at the state level, and local school food authorities operate the program in schools.
• Special Milk Program: SMP provides milk to children in schools and childcare institutions who do not participate in other federal meal service programs.
• Summer Food Service Program: SFSP is a federally-funded, state-administered program. SFSP reimburses program operators who serve free healthy meals and snacks to children and teens in low-income areas.
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: FFVP is an important tool in our efforts to combat childhood obesity. The program has been successful in introducing elementary school children to a variety of produce that they otherwise might not have the opportunity to sample.

Click here for the contact information of Alabama's state distributing agency for each program.

The Wiregrass Area Food Bank is a non-profit hunger relief charity that solicits and collects donated food. The Food Bank distributes this food to agencies feeding the needy in a six-county service area that includes Houston, Henry, Dale, Geneva, Barbour, and Coffee counties in Alabama.

Contact

Location: 382 Twitchell Road, Dothan, AL 36303

Phone: 334.794.9775

Email: dhanks@wiregrassfoodbank.com