Food Bank of Central New York Strategic Initiatives Internship Chris Smith

Background Established in 1985 Created to address the issues associated with hunger in and around Central New York Nearly 50 full-time employees By 2015, network included over 356 soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters to distribute food to the hungry Current service area includes 11 counties; Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and St. Lawrence 42% of individuals served choose between paying for medication or food 30% of food recipients are under the age of 18 63% of food recipients have an annual income < $10,000

How the Food Bank Works Food Acquisition Committed to providing nutritious food Acquire food through: Donations (manufacturers and grocers) The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) which are USDA commodity foods, meats, vegetables and fruits Wholesale foods, which are items purchased specifically for the Food Bank inventory Network Distribution Distribution center is 74,000 sqft (25,000 sqft for refrigerated/frozen foods and 36,000 sqft for dry goods) Food Bank provides door to door deliveries to emergency food network Monday-Friday Community Core of the work is achieved through partnering with local member programs that distribute food to families in need This includes the soup kitchens, food pantries, emergency shelters, as well as other not-for-profit agencies (day care centers, senior centers, rehabilitation centers, and group homes)

Programs and Initiatives Nutritional Education Kids Café Summer Food Service Program Just Say Yes to Fruits & Vegetables CNY Health Bucks Nutritional Outreach Education Program (NOEP) WIC HEAP SNAP Promotes Self-Sufficiency Food Sen$e Gardening and Farmers Market Initiatives

Agency Relations Department Divided into two operational branches Strategic Initiatives – Main function is centered on future operational planning for the Food Bank as a whole. This includes; reorganization of network (efficiency), internal development programs, and avenues of funding (e.g. grants) Member Programs – Primary duties are integral to the maintenance of the Food Bank’s network. Individuals in this section are responsible for intake of new partner agencies, monitoring existing agencies to ensure compliance with both Food Bank and HPNAP directives, and serving as a liaison between agencies and Food Bank personnel