Food and Food System Resources During COVID-19 Pandemic

The following resources are for individuals and families seeking food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance is also available for food assistance programs and food system stakeholders.

Children

• Meals while schools are closed:
  • Ensuring students have mealsexternal icon.
  • Interactive map for finding meals for kidsexternal icon.
  • State guidance on pandemic electronic benefits transfers (P-EBT) for student mealsexternal icon.
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) physical presence waiverexternal icon.

Individual and Families

• Hunger hotline from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for information on meal sites, food banks, and other services near you. Call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) for Spanish. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday.
• Hunger hotline text option. Text 97779 with a question that contains a keyword such as “food” or “meals”. The automated response will include resources located near an address and/or zip code.
• Food finder external iconfor free food assistance programs for children and families.
• Meals on Wheels for individuals with diminished mobility who are generally aged 60 and older, although age requirements can vary. Find a provider online external icon.
• Tips for grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.
• Start simple external iconfood planning during the pandemic with MyPlate.
• Using the updated nutrition facts label external icon.
• Healthy eating tips.

Early Care and Education and K-12 Schools

• Food preparation and meal service for child care programs.
• Safely distributing school meals.
• Checklist for serving meals pdf icon[PDF-501KB] at schools.
• What school nutrition professionals and volunteers need to know.

Food Assistance Programs

• Farmers to Familiesexternal icon food box program from USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service.
• USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service COVID-19 responseexternal icon.
• Immigrant eligibilityexternal icon for public programs during COVID-19.
• State flexibilities in The Emergency Food Assistance Programexternal icon (TEFAP).
• USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) emergency allotmentsexternal icon guidance.
• Sustaining nutritional needs for at-risk individualspdf iconexternal icon [PDF-370KB].
• State waivers in child nutrition programsexternal icon.

Federally-Recognized Tribes or Tribal Organizations

• CDC: Partnering with American Indian tribes and Alaska Native entities to respond to COVID-19.
• USDA food distribution for income-eligible households on Indian reservationsexternal icon and to Native American households residing in designated areas near reservations or in Oklahoma.
• USDA tribal nation COVID-19 waivers and flexibilitiesexternal icon.
• National Indian Health Board National Tribal COVID-19 Response pdf icon[PDF-239KB]external icon to food security and nutrition.

Restaurant and Food Retail Venues

• Best practices and food safety reopening checklistexternal icon for food retail venues.
• Best practicesexternal icon for retail food stores, restaurants, and food pick-up/delivery services.
• Food safetyexternal icon and COVID-19.
• Series of business practice documentsexternal icon for the food industry.
• Tips for businesses and workplaces to plan, prepare, and respond.
• Considerations for restaurants and bars to protect employees, customers, and communities.
• What grocery and food retail workers need to know about COVID-19.

Food Systems

• Cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools, and homes.
• Considerations for food pantries and food distribution sites.
• Considerations for outdoor farmers markets.
• Considerations for outdoor learning gardens and community gardens.
• COVID-19 confirmed positive or exposed workersexternal icon in food production, storage, or distribution operations regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
• Critical infrastructure workers who may have had exposure to a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
• Guidance for meat and poultry processors.
• Identifying critical infrastructure sectors and essential workersexternal icon, including food and agricultural workers.
• Infection preventionpdf iconexternal icon [PDF-1.2MB] for agricultural employers and employees (California example).
• Guidance for manufacturing workers and employers.
• Protecting workersexternal icon from exposure and infection.

Rural Areas

• Guidance for agriculture workers and employers.
• Potential resources for seasonal farmworker housingpdf iconexternal icon[PDF-206KB].
• Rural guidepdf iconexternal icon [PDF-441KB] from the USDA.
• Rural Health Information Hubexternal icon supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services.