"Bonus items" means USDA-donated commodities that are so designated by USDA, are offered by USDA to the states as a one-time offer, and are not charged or credited against a state's entitlement.
"Charitable institution" means a facility that is public or private, nonprofit, and tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code as documented by a letter of exemption; is not a penal institution (including a correctional institution that conducts rehabilitation programs); and provides food assistance to needy persons.
"Commodities" means foods donated or available for donation by the USDA.
"Contract" means a formal, written agreement between the department and an eligible recipient agency regarding receiving, storing, handling, and distributing commodities.
"Contractor" means an eligible recipient agency that has entered into a contract with the department regarding storing, handling, and distributing commodities.
"Department" means the Iowa department of human services.
"Distribution site" means a location where an eligible recipient agency actually distributes commodities to needy persons for home consumption or serves prepared meals to needy persons.
"Eligible recipient agency" means a charitable institution that has entered into a contract with the department for the receipt of commodities or administrative funds or has entered into an agreement with another eligible recipient agency that has signed such a contract with the department. Eligible recipient agencies may include food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, hospitals, retirement homes, Nutrition Services Incentive Programs that operate congregate meals sites or provide home-delivered meals (to the extent that they serve predominately needy persons), summer camps for children or child nutrition programs providing food service, and disaster relief programs. An eligible recipient agency shall meet federal requirements as described at 7 CFR 251.3(d) and 7 CFR 251.5(a), as amended to May 2, 2022.
"Emergency feeding organization" means an eligible recipient agency that provides nutrition assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress through the provision of food to needy persons, including low-income and unemployed persons, under an agreement with the department. Emergency feeding organizations can include food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, and hunger relief centers.
"FNS" means the Food and Nutrition Service, a division of the USDA that administers food assistance programs.
"Food bank" means a public or charitable institution that maintains an established operation involving the provision of food or edible commodities or the products thereof to food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, or other food or feeding centers that, as an integral part of their normal activities, provide meals or food to needy persons on a regular basis.
"Food distribution program" means the office in the department's division of financial, food, and work supports that is responsible for administering the FNS food distribution programs.
"Food pantry" means a public or private nonprofit organization that distributes food to low-income and unemployed households to relieve situations of emergency and distress.
"Household" means a single individual living alone or a group of related or nonrelated individuals who live together, who are not boarders or residents of an institution, and who purchase and prepare food for home consumption.
"Program manager" means a department employee who is assigned to fulfill department responsibilities for management of the USDA FNS food distribution programs.
"Soup kitchen" means a public or charitable institution that provides prepared food to needy homeless persons on a regular basis as a part of its normal activities.
"Subcontract" means a contract between a contractor, as defined in this chapter, and another eligible recipient agency.
"Subcontractor" means an eligible recipient agency that has entered into a subcontract with a contractor, as defined in this chapter.
"Subsidiary distributing organization" means an eligible recipient agency that holds a contract with the department and is also under subcontract with another eligible recipient agency for the distribution of federal commodities.
"TEFAP" means The Emergency Food Assistance Program as authorized by the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 as amended through Public Law 107-249, enacted October 23, 2002.
"USDA" means the United States Department of Agriculture.
