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SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 1000

Homeless meal providers must abide by the following policies: 1. The meal provider must serve meals that include food purchased by the provider. Meal providers serving meals prepared wholly from donated foods will not be eligible for authorization. 2. Only homeless SNAP households will be permitted to use SNAP benefits to purchase meals prepared by the meal provider. The meal provider must establish the household’s right to use SNAP benefits to purchase meals. 3. The use of SNAP benefits to purchase meals from the meal provider must be voluntary on the part of SNAP households. 4. SNAP households must continue to be given the option of using cash if the meal provider requires payment for a meal. 5. If others have the option of eating free or making a monetary donation, SNAP households must be given this same option - eat free or donate money or SNAP benefits. 6. The amount requested from SNAP households to purchase meals may not exceed the average cost of the food contained in a meal served by the meal provider. This refers to the direct cost of food used in preparation of meals. It does not include the value of food donated by USDA or private individuals or companies. Neither does it include the costs of transportation, storage or preparation of the food. Average costs will be determined by averaging allowable food costs over a period of up to one calendar month. 7. Meal providers will not be allowed to serve as authorized representatives. See SNAP 920.

1852 Disposition of Homeless Meal Provider Applications SNAP Manual 02/01/20 Organizations interested in accepting SNAP benefits from the homeless in payment for prepared meals will be referred to the local county DHS office. The Program Eligibility Coordinator or designee will issue an Application for Homeless Meal Provider Status to the organization. The organization must complete this form and return it to the county office. After the form has been returned, the Program Eligibility Coordinator or a designee will visit the feeding site to determine that meals are being served to homeless households. A Meal Provider Visit Record and Disposal will be completed during the visit and routed according to the instructions on the form. Both the Application for Homeless Meal Provider Status and the Meal Provider Visit Record and Disposal are available on DHS-SHARE. No organization will be authorized as a meal provider if: 1. The organization does not prepare and serve meals as part of normal service;