GOCAA helps provide nutrition

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Area residents in need of groceries can find both relief and support in two federal programs aimed at helping persons who meet requirements relating to income, age and location.

According to Linda Cossi of the Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency in Bessemer, the Food and Nutrition Service - an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - offers both of the following programs:

1. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program is a monthly program aimed at seniors age 60 and older with a household income at or below 130% of federal poverty income guidelines. Recipients also must prove residency via driver's license, state identification card, Medicaid or Medicare cards, or recent utility bills.

As a few examples, households with the following number of residents and annual gross household incomes would qualify for CSFP: one person, $16,744; two persons, $22,646; four persons, $34,450; and eight persons, $58,058.

2. The Emergency Food Assistance Program is a quarterly program aimed at persons in need with a household income at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines. Program recipients, who do not need to meet an age limit, must have lived in the geographical area of the distributing agency for at least one day.

As a few examples, households with the following number of residents and corresponding gross annual household incomes would qualify for TEFAP: one person, $25,760; two persons, $34,840; four persons, $53,000; and eight persons, $89,320.

According to program guidelines, the number of persons in the household also relates to the number of boxes of food received during each distribution. For instance, a household with one to four members may receive one box of food, whereas a household with five to eight members may receive two boxes, and a household with nine to 12 members may receive three boxes.

Persons may qualify for TEFAP distributions merely by already being eligible for other government programs such as CSFP, the Supplemental Food Assistance Program, the Family Independence Program, or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Households with children getting free or reduced-cost meals at their school via the National School Lunch Program also are eligible for TEFAP.

Authorized personnel at GOCAA determine eligibility with all certifying data noted on an intake or application form.

Cossi, who is the CSFP/TEFAP coordinator for GOCAA, said Wednesday that she and three part-time staff members run both of the programs. Current staff members are Allen McCloud and Brett Birkholm; the third slot is open.

"This is just a supplemental program." program, cautioned Cossi, explaining that the food distributions are meant only to supplement each recipient's overall food supply.

She added that recipients of the programs receive the following types of foods: canned fruits and vegetables, canned meat and fish, dried or canned beans, peanut butter, pasta and rice, hot and cold cereals, and milk and juice.

In addition, the allotments include a flyer with recipes and/or advice on or healthy food choices. Program materials state that the foods chosen represent nutrients most likely to be lacking in low-income households.

Cossi said that CSFP, the monthly commodity program for seniors, serves 600 combined clients in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties. It has about 75 volunteers to help with the monthly distributions.

TEFAP, the quarterly program, serves 800 combined clients in the two counties, said Cossi. It has about 25 volunteers.

Cossi said that some clients also serve as volunteers.

"We have several different distribution sites," said Cossi regarding the allotments that are announced in advance in relation to dates, time periods and locations.

Gogebic County distribution sites for CSFP include Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Mill Trace Apartments, Wildwood Apartments, and Pioneer Apartments (tenants only), all in Ironwood; GOCAA site, Hillcrest Apartments, and Fairview Apartments, all in Bessemer; VFW Post 9084, Sunset Manor Apartments, and Riverview Apartments; all in Wakefield; the Marenisco Town Hall and the Watersmeet Food Pantry.

Ontonagon County distribution sites for CSFP include the Lake Gogebic Senior Center in Bergland, Stannard Township Ballpark in Bruce Crossing, Mass City Resource Center, White Pine Township Hall, and the Holy Family Catholic Church in Ontonagon.

Regarding the CSFP program, Cossi said, "We do deliver to shut-ins who receive Meals-on-Wheels from Community Action." Recipients also may designate a proxy to pick up the allotments from the designated sites. Once eligibility has been established, ID cards must be shown at the time of pick-up.

Quarterly distribution sites for TEFAP are VFW Post 3673 in Bessemer, along with the Community Action offices in both Ewen and Ontonagon.

Distribution days are busy times, said Cossi. "Our semi comes with the food at 7:30 a.m.," she claimed, meaning that her team must unload the van and parcel out the goods in boxes so that they then can be allotted to clients as they arrive by mid-morning.

On Wednesday, which was a quarterly distribution day in Bessemer, the process was running with factory-level efficiency, with about 20 volunteers and staff acting as cheerful participants.

"We all volunteer to do anything that's needed," said Paul Heikkila as he set up signs for traffic flow of clients expected to arrive for their allotments. "Superman Paul!" called volunteer Jean Wiita, and Heikkila called back, playfully, "I love you!"

Anyone wishing to register with GOCAA, which is an equal opportunity program, should call Gogebic County at 906-667-0283 ext. 12 or Ontonagon County at 906-884-2106. Information also is available gocaa.org.