Food Distribution

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)


This program distributes United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food to income eligible households in Kent County. The food is distributed quarterly through county wide distribution sites. Depending on what food items are available from the USDA, the distribution may consist of canned and frozen meat, canned vegetables, canned fruit, milk, cheese, peanut butter, pasta, and/or cereal.

PLEASE NOTE: On occasion we may run out of supplies and close early.

  • TEFAP 2016
  • TEFAP 2016
  • TEFAP 2014
  • TEFAP 2014
  • TEFAP 2014
  • TEFAP 2014

Eligibility

  • Household income at or below:
    • $2,430 per month for a household of one, or
    • $3,287 a month for a household of two
    • Call for information about larger households

And / Or

Requirements

  • Must live in Kent County
  • Program participants may only pick up at one location once a month
  • Must meet program eligibility (see Eligibility) or have a need for food, and self-declare program required information (see Registration Process)

Registration Process

  • Registration can be completed on the day of the distribution
  • No documentation is needed, all information is self-declared
  • The clients must provide name, address, household size, verbally verify eligibility and self-declare that they meet the program requirements. No proof of information is needed.
  • Please see our Distribution Locations & Information to find the closest site near you. Contact Kent County Community Action for more information and help.

Best Practices

Food packages can be 50 pounds or more in weight, to help make it easier to transport some recommended practices include:

  • Pre-plan a mode of transportation
    • Motorized Vehicle (personal, friend, family, agency based, and/or other services)
    • Take the Bus
    • Other methods of travel (walk, wheel, cycle, etc.)
  • Pre-plan a method to transport the food package
    • Bring a cart
    • Bring extra bags
    • Bring someone to help get the food home or other assistive equipment
    • If the client is not able to pick-up their food box they may have a designated proxy pick-up on their behalf
      • On the Day of Distribution, the client may designate a proxy by sending a signed note including the client's name, address, household size, reason of eligibility, and authorizing the proxy (by name) to pick-up the food.

Distribution Locations & Information

2024 TEFAP Open Distribution Sites

One Day Open Distribution Information

Kent County Community Action

616-632-7954
9AM - 1PM

121 Martin Luther King Jr St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507

  • January 11, 2024
  • July 11, 2024
  • October 10, 2024
Kent County Community Action - Eastern Avenue Church

616-632-7954
1PM - 6PM

514 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

  • March 5, 2024
  • April 9, 2024
  • June 4, 2024
  • September 10, 2024
  • December 10, 2024
Peace Lutheran Church

616-887-9417
3PM - 6PM

1225 12 Mile Rd. NW, Sparta, MI 49345

  • March 21, 2024
  • June 20, 2024
  • September 19, 2024
  • December 19, 2024
North Kent Connect

616-866-3478
10AM - 1PM

10075 Northland Dr. NE, Rockford, MI 49341

  • February 8, 2024
  • May 9, 2024
  • August 8, 2024
  • November 7, 2024
Flat River Outreach Ministries

616-897-8260
4PM - 6PM

11535 Fulton St. E., Lowell, MI 49331

  • February 8, 2024
  • May 9, 2024
  • August 8, 2024
  • November 14, 2024
Byron Community Ministries

616-878-6000
By Appointment

8250 Byron Creek Dr., Byron Center, MI 49315

Throughout the months of February, May, and November of 2024

South East Community Outreach Ministries (SECOM)

616-452-7684
10AM - 1PM

1545 Buchanan Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49507

  • April 18, 2024
  • November 21, 2024
The Green Apple

616-452-7684
10AM - 1PM

4307 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Ste. 25 Grand Rapids, MI 49508

  • March 6, 2024
  • June 5, 2024
  • September 11, 2024
  • December 11, 2024
 

  • Non-Discrimination Statement

    In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

    Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

    To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD- 3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online by clicking here, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

    • Mail
      U.S. Department of Agriculture
      Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
      1400 Independence Avenue, SW
      Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
    • Fax
      (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
    • Email
      program.intake@usda.gov
  • Non-Discrimination Statement - Spanish

    De acuerdo con la ley federal de derechos civiles y las normas y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA), esta entidad está prohibida de discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo (incluyendo identidad de género y orientación sexual), discapacidad, edad, o represalia o retorsión por actividades previas de derechos civiles.

    La información sobre el programa puede estar disponible en otros idiomas que no sean el inglés. Las personas con discapacidades que requieren medios alternos de comunicación para obtener la información del programa (por ejemplo, Braille, letra grande, cinta de audio, lenguaje de señas americano (ASL), etc.) deben comunicarse con la agencia local o estatal responsable de administrar el programa o con el Centro TARGET del USDA al (202) 720-2600 (voz y TTY) o comuníquese con el USDA a través del Servicio Federal de Retransmisión al (800) 877-8339.

    Para presentar una queja por discriminación en el programa, el reclamante debe llenar un formulario AD-3027, formulario de queja por discriminación en el programa del USDA, el cual puede obtenerse en línea, de cualquier oficina de USDA, llamando al (866) 632-9992, o escribiendo una carta dirigida a USDA. La carta debe contener el nombre del demandante, la dirección, el número de teléfono y una descripción escrita de la acción discriminatoria alegada con suficiente detalle para informar al Subsecretario de Derechos Civiles (ASCR) sobre la naturaleza y fecha de una presunta violación de derechos civiles. El formulario AD-3027 completado o la carta debe presentarse a USDA por:

    1. Correo:
      U.S. Department of Agriculture
      Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
      1400 Independence Avenue, SW
      Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
    2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 o (202) 690-7442; or
    3. Correo Electrónico: program.intake@usda.gov

    Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.