The Louisiana Commodity Supplemental Food Program (LA CSFP), one of thirty-two CSFP state programs nationwide, is currently the largest CSFP in the country.  As of 2006, our sole local agency, Food for Families/Food for Seniors, is allowed to serve a maximum of 78,763 clients each month.

Types of Clients Who May Receive CSFP

The CSFP is designed to improve the diets and health of the following kinds of low‑income persons:

• Pregnant women
• Women up to one year following the birth of their child
• Babies
• Children up to their sixth birthday
• Men and women who are at least sixty years old

The Food Packages

All food packages contain high protein, nutrient‑dense  foods, specially selected in order to ensure that clients receive proper nutrition each month.  All foods are top-quality, purchased especially for our program.  These foods are donated to Louisiana by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are very similar to foods you would find in grocery stores.  In many cases, CSFP foods come packed in the same boxes and bags as the popular brand-name foods found on grocery store shelves.

Babies receive each month:

• 9 cans of either milk-based or soy-based powered formula, either from Mead Johnson or Ross
• Plus, older babies receive 4 boxes of baby cereal and 2 48-oz cans of fruit juice

Children who are at least one year old but less than six years old, pregnant women and women who have recently had their babies, and senior citizens receive each month:

•  29 oz of canned meat, either boneless chicken, beef, pork, tuna, or beef stew
• at least 4 cans of vegetables
• at least 2 cans of fruits
• a box of breakfast cereal or a bag of grits, oatmeal, or farina (Cream of Wheat)
• a two-pound block of American cheese
• a two-pound package of either spaghetti, macaroni, rice, or potato flakes
• at least 3 cans of evaporated milk
• a 1.8-pound box of non-fat dry milk every other month
• a jar of peanut butter or a two-pound bag of dried beans
• at least 3 cans of 46-oz fruit juice
• occasionally extra bonus items, such as raisins, dried plums, or trail mix

Nutrition Education

Clients learn about good nutrition in the following ways:

• tastings of recipes made with commodity foods
• short talks about good eating and the importance of exercise
• feeding guides for the parents of babies and young children
• delicious, easy-to-make recipes using your commodity foods
• senior clients receive monthly “Dear Friends” nutrition newsletters in their boxes

Where Can I Get CSFP?

All residents of Louisiana who meet the income requirements and the other eligibility requirements listed above may participate in CSFP.  Currently, CSFP operates food distribution operations in every parish in the State, with the exceptions of Plaquemines and Saint Bernard Parishes (as these parishes' populations return during the post-Katrina and post-Rita period, food distribution services will be resummed when and where appropriate.  Residents of these parishes are allowed to participate in CSFP if they are able to travel to a food site in another parish.  Persons who are interested in doing so should contact Food For Families/Food For Seniors at one of the telephone numbers listed below.

If you are a senior citizen and are unable to travel to one of our food sites, or lack friends, family, or neighbors who can go get your food box for you, you may be eligible for a volunteer to deliver your monthly food box to your home.  Contact Food For Families/Food For Seniors to learn whether you are eligible for this service.

How Do I Sign Up for CSFP?

• Call Food For Families/Food For Seniors on their toll-free line: 1-800-522-3333 or 1-225-357-9099. They will tell you where the closest food site to your home is, what the serving days and times are, and they will tell you if your household income qualifies you to be part of the program.

When you go to get registered at a food site, you will need to bring:

• Proof of your address (such as a utility bill, phone bill, or driver’s license)
• Proof of your income (such as a check stub, award letter from Social Security or SSI, or check stub from one of those programs)

If you are a pregnant woman, you will need to also bring:

• A letter from your doctor listing your baby’s expected birth date

If you are a woman who has recently given birth, or if you are the parent of a baby or child who will be receiving a food box, you will also need to bring:

• Your baby’s or child’s birth certificate

If you are a person who is aged sixty or older, you will also need to bring:

• Proof of your age (a document listing your birth date, such as a birth certificate or a driver’s license)

Your income automatically qualifies you for CSFP if you fit one of the client categories listed above and if you currently receive:

• Food Stamps (Louisiana Purchase card)
• SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
• TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
• If you participate in one of these programs, bring proof of your participation with  you

Can I Get Benefits from Both CSFP and the WIC Program at the Same Time?

No.  The same person may not receive a food box from CSFP and food vouchers from the WIC Program (Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children) at the same time.  However, a family may get WIC vouchers for one family member and a CSFP box for a different family member at the same time.  The same person receiving benefits from CSFP and the WIC Program at the same time, or the same person receiving more than one CSFP food box in the same month, is illegal and may result in removal from these programs and a bill for the value of benefits illegally received.

However, it is perfectly okay for the same person to receive both CSFP and:

• Food Stamps (Louisiana Purchase card)
• Quarterly commodities (foods from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, TEFAP)
• Congregate meals for senior citizens
• Meals-on-Wheels
• Foods from charitable food pantries, food banks, or soup kitchens

How Can I Find Out More Information?

Feel free to write the Louisiana CSFP Manager at:

CSFP Manager
Nutrition Section, Louisiana Office of Public Health
628 N. 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Or you can email the Louisiana CSFP Manager at:  tidanger@dhh.la.gov