TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in Maine
In Maine, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by Dept of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry with Good Shepherd Food Bank. This page sets out what a food pantry or other distribution site has to do: who qualifies, what each household declares, what you record at each visit, how long you keep it, how complaints are handled and what you report. Where Maine's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.
Maine's TEFAP agency and official documents
- Dept of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry with Good Shepherd Food Bank — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).
- Maine DACF: 2026-2027 TEFAP financial guidelines (checked 2026-10-10)
Who qualifies: the income limit
Household income at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: TEFAP financial guidelines 2026-2027). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:
- LIHEAP
- TANF
- SSI
- Medicaid
- DEL
- SNAP
- WIC
- self-declared emergency need
| Household size | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $47,880 | $3,990 |
| 2 | $64,920 | $5,410 |
| 3 | $81,960 | $6,830 |
| 4 | $99,000 | $8,250 |
| 5 | $116,040 | $9,670 |
| 6 | $133,080 | $11,090 |
| 7 | $150,120 | $12,510 |
| 8 | $167,160 | $13,930 |
| Each additional person | +$17,040 |
The eligibility declaration
Form: intake form (Service Insights electronic applications approved). How often: once a year. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.
What to record at each visit
- name
- household_size
- date
- eligibility basis
Client signature at every pickup: No. Electronic signatures: Yes. Electronic intake: electronic applications approved via Service Insights on MealConnect.
Proxies
Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).
How long to keep records
3 years.
Civil rights
Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly. Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: annual for all who interact with clients; intake staff read full PDF + quiz.
Posted or handed out:
- Rights of Food Assistance Recipients
- And Justice for All
Reporting
monthly to Good Shepherd Food Bank.
- households
- individuals
- eligibility category
- inventory
Storage temperatures
Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).
Also
- Signatures no longer required; addresses no longer tracked.
Sources
TEFAP in nearby States
TEFAP in New Hampshire · TEFAP in Massachusetts · TEFAP in Vermont · all States