Your monthly look into what's happening at the NH Food Bank. |
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June 2023
NHFB Closures
Tues. July 4th- Independence Day
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Welcome,
New Agencies!
- St. Joseph's Food Pantry- Belmont
- Hands Across the Table - Laconia
- Salvation Army Food Pantry- Derry
- End 68 Hours of Hunger- Alton
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As of June 1st, ordering on Agency Express has changed from a maximum of 9 days in advance to 5 days in advance prior to your pick up or delivery date. This is to allow for the freshest product to be provided to you with your order. The requirement of ordering no less than "2 days minimum" will not change.
We are aware this will cause some confusion or concern for agencies that have a strict ordering regimen. But we appreciate your cooperation as we all adjust to this change which will benefit everyone in the end.
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Hello agencies!
Let's talk about intake. As the coordinators go out on the road to visits, they talk a lot about intake and the process each of our agencies use. We know that we're not always your only source of food and some of our agencies have USDA requirements too, so we made ourselves very aware of the requirements so that we can better serve your clients with an easier intake process.
If your agency does not use USDA commodities, your requirements for intake are as simple as what you need to report to us on your QSR. We ask for how many you serve each month and age ranges of those clients. For your own records, you can adapt a system to track clients in ways that keep things dignified. We've seen systems like cards issued to families that track visits to families being assigned a number they provide upon their visit. Think of ways to make this process easier and less invasive to make for a more dignified experience.
For the sites that do USDA food also, your requirements are much the same as above, but in addition, you must ask the self-identifying question of if your clients are eligible for programs such as WIC, Medicaid, or subsidized housing. To be clear, it is only stating that they are eligible, not that they receive--and if even one checkmark is made in that program eligibility section, they do not need to fill out income eligibility by the USDA guidelines. You also do not need to have the program or income guidelines on your form, those can be displayed somewhere at your facility visible to your clients and that would suffice because this is self-proclaimed.
The USDA form can be used as is or you can make your own version, and we suggest that you think about ways to make the intake process simpler and easier for your clients. Don't ask unnecessary questions about how much their bills are and don't make your clients prove to you that they're in need of help by jumping through so many hoops that they choose either not to come back or to get by on their own and not ask for help. We are here to help the food insecure, not hinder them. Please reach out to us if you need help with your intake form.
Thank you,
Kristie
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If you've picked up an order from the NH Food Bank recently, you may have noticed that we often have volunteers under the awning helping to sort and organize the shopping area for our agencies. This volunteer position of Agency Support Volunteer is one that we're trying to fill daily to better serve our agencies. If you see our volunteers out there be sure to say hello!
If you or anyone you know would like to volunteer for this role, sign up on Volunteerhub here or contact our volunteer coordinator, Ashley, at (603)669-9725 ext. 1131 or email amoulton@nhfoodbank.org.
Joe & Kathy 5/31/2023
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Donor Spotlight: Hannaford |
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Did you know that Hannaford Supermarkets donated $50,000 to The Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges to help expand and support food pantries at community colleges across the state. A couple of our agencies benefitted from this generous donation! Check out the article below:
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The 2023 NH Feeding NH program has begun and enrollment is now open. Applications may be submitted through July 31st and checks will follow soon after. If you have any questions about the program or the application process, please contact Jessica at jnewnan@nhfoodbank.org.
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Granite State Market Match & Double Up Food Bucks |
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If your clients receive SNAP(EBT) benefits, they are eligible to double their SNAP dollars by getting 50% off fruits and vegetables when shopping at participating NH farmers’ markets, farm stands, CSAs, and NH independent grocers.
At participating farmers’ markets, clients will first need to go to the market information booth and say they would like to use their EBT card to purchase SNAP tokens. They will then swipe their EBT card for the dollar amount they would like to spend, and will receive $1 SNAP tokens in that amount and matching $1 Granite State Market Match tokens or vouchers for the same amount. This means they get back double the amount they charged to their EBT card. They can then shop for eligible foods with the SNAP tokens and for fresh fruits and vegetables with their Granite State Market Match participating locations. At all other sites, customers will need to shop for their items and at the time of purchase ask to use Double Up Food Bucks or Granite State Market Match. Asking this will give them 50% off the fresh fruits and vegetables they are buying. For more information you or your clients can visit www.granitestatemarketmatch.org.
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The Agency Relations team has partnered with the NHFB's Recipe For Success Nutrition team to create a monthly Agency Learning Series. The majority of these sessions are intended to explore topics that can be used directly within your program to better your experience for your team and your clients.
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Congratulations to the 1st Quarter 2023 QSR winners! Each winning agency has received a $25 credit on their NHFB account.
- The Upper Room - Derry
- Silverthorne, Inc. - Salem
- Sacred Heart Church Food Pantry - Manchester
To be eligible to win next quarter, be sure to submit your report on time (when next issued in July) and use the current form.
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All sessions are held online using Zoom.
To enroll in any upcoming session, please contact your Agency Relations Coordinator. A zoom link will be sent out prior to the class for those who signed up to attend.
New Shopper Orientation
Thursday, June 8th @10:00am
Wednesday, June 28th @1:00pm
Tuesday, July 11th @10:00am
*If you have a new director for your program, our Training & Resource Coordinator can come to you to do in-person training.
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All programs are required to have at least one person at their facility that is Safe Food Handling certified.
Safe Food Handling
For Food Pantries:
Tuesday, June 6th @9:30am
Wednesday, June 7th @9:30am
(June 7th session is an in-person session, and will be held in Manchester. Sign up for the location details.)
Thursday, August 3rd @4:00pm
For Soup Kitchens & Prepared Meals:
Wednesday, September 20th @2pm
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One Last Note From Agency Relations |
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- When picking up your order (at our building or at a delivery site), please do not stand on pallets. Safety is always a primary concern and pallets can be weak or loose which could cause you to fall or have the pallet break under you.
- If there have been any changes to your programs contact information (email, phone number, etc.) please contact your NHFB Coordinator right away so we can update your account.
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Have you missed out on viewing any past bulletins? Visit the Agency Portal to see an archive of past bulletins.
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Agency Relations Manager.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Belknap, Rockingham and Strafford counties.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Coos, Carroll, and northern Grafton counties.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Cheshire, Sullivan, Merrimack & southern/central Grafton county.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Hillsborough county.
Agency Training and Resource Coordinator.
NH Feeding NH Program Coordinator for all of NH.
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