Federal Grant Award Summary

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe received a Project Grant award of $184,064 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR, CFDA 10.567), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. This award provides administrative funding to support the tribal organization's operation and management of nutrition assistance services for income-eligible households residing on or near the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation in Minnesota.

Under this award, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe administers the distribution of supplemental monthly food packages to eligible tribal households, selecting from over 100 domestically sourced USDA food items including frozen and canned proteins, beans, fresh produce, grains, dairy products, and oils. The tribe is responsible for certifying household eligibility based on SNAP income thresholds, maintaining program records, ordering food commodities from USDA, and ensuring food availability to certified households. FDPIR serves as a critical nutrition assistance alternative for tribal members with limited access to SNAP offices or authorized food retailers, with household certification periods not exceeding 12 months under standard circumstances.