The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. 1 Food Sourcing and the Food Supply: From Macro to Micro and Everything in Between Bethany Carney, Food Sourcing Supervisor, CAFB Melanie Frank, Agency Retail Specialist, CAFB Kurt Welz, Product Sourcing Manager, Feeding America

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. What is Food Sourcing? Soliciting and receiving food through donations, purchasing, food drives, and other sources like manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, farmers, etc. 2

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Food Sourcing in the Network Feeding America creates and develops national partnerships with major donors in the food industry. Examples: Walmart, H-E-B, Target, Sprouts, Sam’s Club, Coca-Cola, Borden, U.S. Foods, etc. 3

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. But wait! Before we go any further… WHAT IS 4 ?

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. The Impact of the Feeding America Network 5 We serve 46 MILLION AMERICANS annually, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors We provide 3.3 BILLION MEALS each year to people in need We have 200 FOOD BANKS in the Feeding America network We source and distribute 10 MEALS for each $1 donated We source 1 BILLION POUNDS of fruits and vegetables by the network 2 MILLION VOLUNTEERS help carry out our vision for a hunger-free America

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. 6 We Feed People in Need Food banks provide food and grocery items to people in need at food pantries, soup kitchens, youth programs, senior centers and emergency shelters. The Feeding America Network Provides More Than 3.3 Billion Meals to People in Need Each Year. We Secure Donations The Feeding America network secures donations from national and local retailers, food companies and government agencies. We Move Food The Feeding America network of food banks moves donated food and grocery products to where they are needed most. We Safely Store and Distribute Donations Member food banks ensure the safe storage and reliable distribution of donated goods to local charitable feeding programs. We Feed People in Need Food banks provide food and grocery items to people in need at food pantries, soup kitchens, youth programs, senior centers and emergency shelters.

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. The Food Bank Model is Shifting 7 ~+1 Billion 2010 – Billion 3.3 Billion 3.6 Billion Feeding America is currently on track to exceed its 1 billion meal goal. † 2014 SNAP meal numbers not included in the total. Source: Stream Report (Network Analytics) Meals (MM) SNAP Purchased Fresh Produce Retail Manufacturing Federal Commodities New Frontiers Represents 250 million meals secured through the manufacturing and retail channels CHANNEL

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. CAFB Food Sourcing Where does CAFB’s food come from? 8

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Food Drives and Community Events Individuals, businesses, and other groups hold traditional food drives Souper Bowl of Caring Community events – Reggae Festival, Hot Sauce Festival, etc. 9

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. USDA Commodities We order and receive staple items in truckload quantities, based on an allotted amount of funds 10

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Purchasing Subsidized: CAFB purchases staple food items and subsidizes the cost so that Partner Agencies pay only SMF. Co-Op: CAFB purchases higher-priced items at wholesale pricing. Agencies pay at cost, which is considerably lower than retail cost. 11

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Food Rescue We receive donations from local retailers, distributors, manufacturers, farms, and other community resources. Typically, the donated food items are no longer of value to the donor and would otherwise be thrown away (but are still good to eat!) Last year, CAFB and Partner Agencies rescued a total of 16 million pounds! Within Feeding America’s national partnerships, donors prefer relationships with the food bank members due to ease of management and visibility to activity. Partner Agencies may be authorized to directly receive these donations through CAFB’s Agency Retail Pickup program. 12

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Agency Retail Pickup (ARP) Traditionally, all food rescue was done by CAFB staff. To increase efficiencies, some food banks developed successful models in which Partner Agencies picked up directly from donors. In 2013, CAFB developed the Agency Retail Pickup program, which allowed authorized Partner Agencies to pick up directly from retail grocery stores. 13

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. ARP Strategic Plan Alleviate stress and increase efficiencies for the CAFB truck fleet Allow CAFB to be more consistent with local pickups Empower Agencies to expand capacity and receive more food without SMF More food rescued with larger variety Stores donate to their local community 14

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. ARP Continued CAFB matches a Partner Agency with a donor based on certain qualifications: –Capability –Capacity –Compliance –Distribution –Relationship –Donor expectations 15

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. ARP Reporting Agencies report all pounds received to CAFB in a timely fashion so that the activity can be properly receipted to Feeding America, and then to the donors at a corporate level 16 Local donor Partner Agency CAFB Feeding America National donor

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Other Ways to Source Food 17 Find new opportunities in your local area: –Food drives –Local food companies –Local farmers markets –Backyard gardens, small farms –Restaurants and hotels

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Food Drives Equip donors with the right tools to have a successful food drive! –Boxes/containers –List of most requested items Set a goal Promote the event – social media, flyers, s, etc. 18

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Local Food Companies Solicit food rescue donations from smaller local companies: –Bakeries –Meat markets –Convenience stores –Think outside the box! 19

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Local Farms or Gardens Farmers markets Backyard gardens Small farms Fruit trees Community gardens 20

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Restaurants and Hotels Prepared foods may be donated only if the donor is trained on donation procedures. All donations must be properly packaged, labelled, and preferably frozen. 21

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Become a Better Food Sourcer! Before you solicit donations, be sure that you are a capable recipient. –What is your cooler/freezer capacity? Dry storage? –What food safety precautions are you following? –How frequently do you distribute? –What type of transportation will you use? –Do you have volunteers available to pick up donations? –Can you expand capacity to allow for more donations? 22

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Become a Better Food Solicitor –Present yourself in a professional manner. Donors will often look at you us as a business partner, not as a charity. Understand how can you help them: Trash costs? Sustainability? Community Perception?, etc. –Establish rapport. Prove to your donors that you are a capable and reliable partner… one that will safely handle their donations, and be consistent and professional. –Tell your story. History, numbers, client stories, etc. –Provide materials and information (brochures, fact cards, etc.) –Invite them to your facility. Give them a tour. Show them how you serve the community. 23

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Become a Better Partner After you’ve established a relationship with a donor, it is essential to maintain that relationship. –Visit. Set up meetings. –Create a main point of contact. –Ask them how you can be a better partner to them. Recognition is key. –Visit them to thank them for their support. –If possible, provide small gifts, thank you certificates, etc. –Use social media or newsletters to thank them. –Again, invite them to your facility! Be good stewards to your donors. Build a positive reputation in the community. 24

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Other Ideas for Food Sourcing Become a customer first. Establishing an initial relationship may lead to future donations or benefits. Can you safely receive surplus product after events? Ex: festivals, fairs, etc. 25

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Looking Ahead Need to acquire cold chain resources to handle and maintain available perishable products Need to be open more often for distribution in order to move food nearing end of use Need to train employees and volunteers around food safety for the differing types of foods Need to get creative on the use of foods and create demand for unique items through education and trial Need to understand that donors are looking for “business” partners that create value and brand perception Need to think holistically and work together, donors do not like small distractions and conflict 26

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Ideas? Best Practices? What are you currently doing to source more food? Best practices or suggestions for other agencies? 27

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Questions? 28

The mission of the Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. THANK YOU Please contact feel free to contact us: Agency Retail Pickup: Melanie Frank, Other Food Sourcing: Bethany Carney, 29