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2014 NAFDPIR Conference USDA Food and Nutrition Service. General Session June 9, 2014. Laura Castro Director, Food Distribution Division. FDPIR overview & Priorities. Recent Developments. Implementation of final rule established parity between SNAP and FDPIR eligibility requirements
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2014 NAFDPIR ConferenceUSDA Food and Nutrition Service General Session June 9, 2014
Laura Castro Director, Food Distribution Division FDPIR overview & Priorities
Recent Developments • Implementation of final rule established parity between SNAP and FDPIR eligibility requirements • Changes in SNAP Benefit Level from ARRA Sunset • Impact: • Participation • National and Local Inventories • Funding
Participation in FDPIR • Currently serving an average of 83,000 individuals per month nationally.
National and Local Inventories Participation increases put strain on food availability/variety Procurement schedule – generally 3 months in advance of delivery Increase in food costs – due to inclement weather Commitment to meet full food package
Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 –2015 Funding • $104.0 million appropriated in FY 2014 • Exploring ways to increase program funding for FY 2014 food purchases • President’s FY 2015 Budget Request includes $119.736 million for FDPIR, a significant portion of which is to support increased participation
FY 2014 Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) Awards • New Application Submission Process • 20 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) received awards • Amounts awarded range from $5,210 to $135,017 • Project Summaries: • http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdpir/fdpir-nutrition-education-grant-awards
FY 2014 Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) Awards • Examples of Activities Funded • Food demonstrations for participants • Nutrition, cooking, and food preservation classes for participants • Community gardens • Cookbooks and calendars
Nutrition Education Tools Purchased for ITOs All ITOs received resources to help them provide more nutrition information to participants How Much Fat? Test Tubes (Parts I, II and III) Two Nutrition DVDs to show to participants Poster to Display for Participant Viewing Tip Sheet
FDPIR Food Package Review • Welcomed new group members • FY 2014 Work Plan • Frozen pork chop pilot • Shell eggs pilot • Seneca Nation • Spaghetti in 1 lb. boxes • Product review & sampling • No salt added canned corn and tomatoes • DoD customer service feedback
What’s New in FDPIR Materials? • FDPIR Program Brochure • Next: Banners, Posters, Nutrition Education Brochure, Audio Blogs
Upcoming Consultation Sessions • FNS Quarterly Consultation Schedule • August 20, 2014 from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern • November 19, 2014 from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern • For further information: • www.fns.usda.gov/fns/tribal/ • TribalAffairs@fns.usda.gov
Priorities through FY 2015 • Ensure sufficient resources to meet increased participation and full food package benefit levels • Collaborate closely with Food Package Review Work Group • Share FDPIR Study Final Draft Report with NAFDPIR, receive Final Report • Continue regional vendor pilot
Dana Rasmussen Chief, Policy Branch Food Distribution Division Policy Updates
Funding for FDPIR • FY 2014 Appropriation • Provides $104 million in total appropriated funds • $998,000 separately appropriated for FDPIR Nutrition Education (FDPNE) Competitive Grants • FY 2015 President’s Budget Request • $119.736 million requested • Increase of $15.736 million from FY 2014 • Includes $10 million to support increases in participation • Additional $5 million to expand purchases of regionally preferred and locally grown foods, under 2008 Farm Bill
Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79), the 2014 “Farm Bill” • Signed into law on February 7, 2014 • Reauthorizes FDPIR through 2018 • Provisions impacting Tribes and FDPIR
FDPIR Final Rule: Income Deductions & Resource Eligibility • Published final on August 27, 2013 with an effective date of September 26, 2013 • Financial Eligibility • Elimination of resource test • Expanded medical expense deduction • New regional shelter/utility expense deduction • Breakout Sessions at NAFDPIR Conference
Recent Policy Memoranda • FD-132: Questions & Answers Related to the FDPIR Income Deductions & Resource Eligibility Final Rule • Covers common questions related to the final rule • FD-135: Revised Policy on Certification Periods for Zero Income Households • Allows for a minimum of 3-month certification periods for zero income households verified to be stable • http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdpir/policy
The Study of FDPIR • Objectives • Obtain updated data on participant characteristics • Explore trends in participation • Examine distribution models • Learn about food package relative to participants’ diets • Study Progress • Data collection update • Final report as early as Winter 2014
Janice Fitzgerald Chief, Household Operations Branch Food Distribution Division Operations & SYSYEMS Updates
TOPICS • Food Purchasing & 2014 Updates • Purchasing Schedule • Food Costs • Replenishment Orders • Vendor Pilot • Operations Call
FOOD PURCHASING • Yearly • Quarterly • Monthly • All Household Programs follow same purchasing schedule
Purchasing Schedule • Yearly Purchases • IDIQ – deliveries October, 2014 thru September, 2015 • Quarterly Purchases • October thru December Deliveries • Purchase in July • Monthly • October Deliveries • Purchase in August
Replenishment Orders • Inventory orders are based on ordering trends from previous months • Generally use a 3 month average from the 3 previous months of multi-food orders • Adjustments made based on increased participation and product availability
Vendor Pilot • Continuing with the 4 Oklahoma sites • Chickasaw • Pawnee • Ponca • Sac & Fox
Operations Call • Monthly call to review inventories • Updates on product availability • Inventory status of Americold, Nampa & Paris Brothers
Web-Based Supply Chain Management System (WBSCM) • Two system outages are planned • 6:00 PM July 3rd until 6:00 AM July 7th – hardware upgrade • 6:00 PM July 31st until 6:00 AM August 5th – software upgrade • Business operations and delivery schedules will be adjusted • Minimal impact to food deliveries or inventory during the outages
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Order Receipt System (FFAVORs) • No impact to ITO ordering from FFAVORS software release June 14th • New Local Procurement State identifier in the catalog • Vendor will identify States supplying product in their catalog • This will be phased in by vendor through contract modifications- not all vendors will provide this information July 1
Electronic Commodity Ordering System (ECOS) • The ECOS application will be shut down mid-September 2014 • Organizations should access ECOS and obtain order information if they need to retain historical information