USDA Foods

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is administered monthly at the Federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The CSFP works to improve the health of people at least sixty (60) years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods. CSFP provides food and administrative funds to States to supplement the diets of eligible participants. CSFP food packages are not meant to provide all food sources required for complete dietary needs during a month, but rather are meant to provide good sources of nutrients typically lacking in the diets of the target population.

Eligibility determinations are conducted at Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency by authorized personnel.  All certification data is recorded on an intake or application form. Eligibility is based on age, income, and residency.

Income Guidelines: Seniors (age 60 and older) must have a household income at or below 130% of the current Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.  Income is self-declared and the source and amount of all income must be reported.

Residency is established by recent utility bills, driver’s license, state identification card, Medicaid, or Medicare cards.

Participants who may have difficulty obtaining their USDA Foods at normal distribution times may designate a proxy.

Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency announces new partnership with Feeding America West Michigan to bring more food, more often to local families

Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency has announced a new partnership with Feeding America West Michigan (FAWM). GOCAA will now offer The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in partnership with FAWM’s mobile and local pantries.

By combining GOCAA TEFAP with Feeding America West Michigan mobile and local pantry networks, local families can now receive monthly combined food assistance that includes shelf-stable USDA foods from both partners as well as additional fresh produce, dairy, and bakery items through FAWM’s other food sources. This partnership provides consistent access to food for those in need while combining the strengths of GOCAA’s connection to the local community and FAWM’s ability to provide increased amounts of food more often and at reduced costs gained through partnership.

“The goal of GOCAA is to bring more food, more often to our residents. The partnership with Feeding America West Michigan will offer a variety of nutritious food through mobile routes and local pantries and support local agency efforts to address “last mile” distribution challenges. This means that food will be available to our local families when they need it,” stated the Agency’s Executive Director.

The GOCAA/FAWM supported distribution locations, dates, and times for both local and mobile pantries are located on the FAWM website https://www.feedwm.org/findfood/.

Participants in need of emergency food may pick up a package of food at our office located at 100 S. Mill Street in Bessemer. For more information about The Emergency Food Assistance Program please contact our office at 906-663-1080.