What is the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP)?

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) is a federal government program that sends food to county food banks. The food banks then distribute this free food to eligible individuals and households.[1522] See the next question to learn how to find an EFAP-supported food bank.

To be eligible for EFAP benefits at a county food bank, your household must (1) live within the region that the food bank serves, and (2) self-certify that they meet the income requirements. To see if your household meets income requirements, call the California Department of Social Services’ Emergency Food Assistance Program office at 916-229-3344.[1523]

If you do not have a place to prepare food, you should ask the food bank to give you a list of soup kitchens, which also receive food through the state’s Emergency Food Assistance Program.

  1. 1522

    Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP), Cal. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. Health & Human Servs. Agency, http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/efap/, http://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/emergency-food-assistance-program-tefap. The laws governing EFAP in California are: 7 C.F.R. 250, 7 C.F.R. 251. You can find links to these laws and to the EFAP Policy & Procedures at: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/efap/PG1905.htm.

  2. 1523

    Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) 2014 Income Guidelines, Cal. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. Health & Human Servs. Agency, http://www.cdss.ca.gov/cdssweb/entres/forms/English/EFA14.pdf; See also Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) Procedure Manual, Cal. Dep’t of Soc. Servs. Health & Human Servs. Agency, http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/efap/res/pdf/ProcedureManual.pdf