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Questions and Answers Regarding USDA
1.
In the past, programs received USDA reimbursement based on the number of
meals reported to DAS. Will
programs continue to receive USDA funds based on the number of meals served?
Yes, but funding for the current
year is based on the number of meals served during the previous year.
A set amount of USDA funds will be allocated to each program.
DAS will draft a Notification of Grant Award (NGA) for each program.
The NGA will state the amount of funds that will be to the available to
the programs for the grant period (ex. 10/1/08 - 9/30/09).
The distribution of funding will
be determined by the percentage of cash and food that each program has elected
to receive for the year and the amount of total funds allocated to DAS.
2.
If I serve more meals than I served last year, will the program receive
additional USDA funds?
Each program is only eligible to
receive funds determined by the NGA. During
the year, USDA or FNS may adjust the amount of funding to DAS due to unspent or
supplemental appropriations. If
supplemental funding is received by DAS, then DAS will distribute these funds
first to programs which are exceeding their Title III-C funded meals.
A revised NGA will be drafted indicating the supplemental amount.
3.
To receive USDA funding, do programs have to serve a minimum number of
meals?
No, but the number of meals
served will affect the amount of USDA funding the program will receive the
following year. For the current
year USDA funding is a grant and is to be distributed evenly over a twelve-month
period.
Title III-C funding is based on
providing a minimum number of meals but has nothing to do with receiving
funds.
4.
How many meals can be provided to home-delivered clients?
DAS funds can be used to provide
one meal per day, 7 days a week, to each eligible home-delivered meal client.
Additional meals can be provided, but the program is responsible for the
additional costs to provide the meals.
5.
How many congregate meals can my program provide?
DAS is only able to fund one
meal per day, 5 days a week to each participant (or a maximum of 260 days.)
The 5 days can be any combination of days in a one-week period, Sunday
through Saturday.
6. What about special days such as holiday
celebrations, recognitions, etc?
DAS funds meals for only 5 days
in a one-week period. The 5 days can include a holiday meal or if the site
is closed on a holiday, a meal could be provided on the weekend.
7.
Can my program choose to serve a breakfast meal or dinner meal?
Yes,
but again DAS funding is based on only one meal per participant 5 days per week.
8.
Do I continue to report on the total meals served?
Yes, because DAS needs a true
count of the number of meals that are provided by each program.
USDA allocations are based on the meals reported the prior year.
It is important that all meals
are counted, so Nevada receives credit for every meal served.
The more meals served, the greater the amount of USDA funds that will be
received next year.
9.
Can I count meals that are provided to seniors by an alternative sponsor?
Examples are a local casino, restaurant or fraternal organization.
Yes, if the meals meet the
following criteria: the meals are perceived as a donation to the program and are
documented as a donation; the seniors are 60 years of age and older; and the
meal that is provided meets the 1/3 of the daily Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) menu requirement.
