Distribution to charitable institutions. The Department provides donated foods to distributing agencies for distribution to charitable institutions, as defined in this part. A charitable institution must have a signed agreement with the distributing agency in order to receive donated foods, in accordance with § 250.12(b). However, the following organizations may not receive donated foods as charitable institutions:

Schools, summer camps, service institutions, and child and adult care institutions that participate in child nutrition programs or as commodity schools; and

Adult correctional institutions that do not conduct rehabilitation programs for a majority of inmates.

Types of charitable institutions. Some types of charitable institutions that may receive donated foods, if they meet the requirements of this section, include:

Hospitals or retirement homes;

Emergency shelters, soup kitchens, or emergency kitchens;

Elderly nutrition projects or adult day care centers;

Schools, summer camps, service institutions, and child care institutions that do not participate in child nutrition programs; and

Adult correctional institutions that conduct rehabilitation programs for a majority of inmates.

Determining service to predominantly needy persons. To determine if a charitable institution serves predominantly needy persons, the distributing agency must use:

Socioeconomic data of the area in which the organization is located, or of the clientele served by the organization;

Data from other public or private social service agencies, or from State advisory boards, such as those established in accordance with 7 CFR 251.4(h)(4); or

Other similar data.

Types and quantities of donated foods distributed. A charitable institution may receive donated foods under Section 4(a), Section 32, Section 416, or Section 709, as available. The distributing agency must distribute donated foods to charitable institutions based on the quantities that each may effectively utilize without waste, and the total quantities available for distribution to such institutions.

Contracts with food service management companies. A charitable institution may use donated foods in a contract with a food service management company. The contract must ensure that all donated foods received for use by the charitable institution in a fiscal year are used in the charitable institution's food service. However, the charitable institution is not subject to the other requirements in subpart D of this part relating to the use of donated foods under such contracts.