Exploring the Success of the Public/Private Partnership between the Flagler County School District and Grace Community Food Pantry Two threads woven into cloth designed to serve the needy of Flagler County

Flagler County School District & Grace Community Food Pantry. Thank you for inviting us to tell our story; a story of the public/private partnership between the Flagler County School District & Grace Community Food Pantry. A story of identifying a need, partnering for a solution, and never focusing on who gets the credit; just how we can serve the needy of our respective communities.

Flagler County School District (FCSD) and Grace Community Food Pantry (GCFP) Join Forces Our partnership began in 2008-09 school year with GCFP requesting to conduct a food drive in a single school to help restock our pantry Superintendent Bill Delbrugge, recognizing the need for pantry services, agreed instead to conduct the drive in all FCSD schools that year and a partnership was born. This effort resulted in a significant expansion of GCFP’s efforts and ability to attempt to meet the needs of the Flagler County community in answering “Food Insecurity” of hundreds of Flagler County families This also highlighted in a real way the needs in our community and how the FCSD and GCFP could work together to impact our community

FCSB and GCFP Join Forces The USDA changed their rules for pantry services, requiring them to provide service within the confines of a public managed facility or building. This challenged the GCFP very survival along with its clients. The FCSD rose to the challenge, and provided space to the GCFP, allowing the pantry to remain eligible to receive USDA food products and for the needy in our community to continue to be served. Over the next few years, the demands of the community and the expansion of the pantry required changes in space provided, ultimately having the GCFP reside in its current location in the Education Way site.

The Success and Growth of the FCSB and GCFP Partnership 4 years ago, the FCSD was challenged to meet the growing “food Insecurity” needs of its transitional student and family population over the weekends. FCSD approached the GCFP to engage in the design, development and implementation of what is today the enormously successful “Fed by Grace” school backpack program. This program aids FCSD is meeting the needs of its transitional population without impacting the district’s budget, staff, or organizational focus 100% of the food drive collected from the district schools is now dedicated to support the FBG Backpack program and is supplemented by the GCFP food collection to meet the needs of district’s transitional students and their families

FCSD and GCFP Enjoy Today’s Great “FBG” Backpack Program Currently, A pack consists of shelf stable products, protein, fruits and vegetables, and snacks amounting to 7-10 pounds weekly. About half of this supplied benefit is from the pantry inventory and the remainder is supplied by the school food drives These packs are assembled GCFP shelves by volunteers at the Education Way site, collected for distribution, and then transported to the schools for transitional student distribution every Friday during the school year. Our partnership results in 2347 backpacks in 2015-16 school year being provided to transitional students/families to deal with food insecurity. This is 18% increase over the 2014-15.

FCSD and GCFP Partnership Answers Larger County-wide “Food Insecurity” Needs GCFP has been meeting the needs of the entire Flagler County community for over 15 years. It is BY FAR the largest pantry service in the county. Last year GCFP distributed: Over 2,300,000 pounds of food to our community’s “Food Insecure” Was visited by over 3,840 different families, all with unique Pantry “IDS” Most of these visitors are in need for a given period of time; not chronic as is generally thought: 19% of GCFP visitors came a single time 62% of GCFP visitors came 2-10 times 19% visited greater than 10 times; truly chronic users GCFP client growth has stabilized, growing 4% last year; only 12% since ‘13.

FCSD and GCFP Partnership Answers Larger County-wide “Food Insecurity” Needs The GCFP operates with no paid staff in any of our efforts-100% volunteer These volunteers are comprised from local residents hoping to serve, church communities, Flagler Volunteer Services, United Way, court ordered community service, ESE (Exceptional Student Education) These volunteer’s effort both provides food and support to the “Food Insecure” but also enhances and adds to their own lives by providing an outlet to give back to the community and help their friends, neighbors, co-workers and fellow students; even FCSD employees on occasion.

FCSD and GCFP Partnership Answers Larger County-wide “Food Insecurity” Needs The GCFP distributes to the needy at the Education Way facility every Saturday and Sunday. It also distributes on a regular basis in the Hammock area off A1A. GCFP also does mobile food drops to reach non-mobile resident populations, and does some delivery for the shut-in or transportation challenged. GCFP also participates in the Access Flagler event every other month with both food distribution and other services coordinated through GCFP.

GCFP Integrates the Entire Flagler Community in its Efforts GCFP coordinates the very successful “Walk for Food” event annually. This event also provides funding to the FCSD’s Step-Up program as their funding was cut. GCFP is now the coordinator and director of the Thanksgiving “Feed Flagler” event; providing those in need a hot Thanksgiving meal or a box with a turkey and fixings and the entire community an opportunity to celebrate together with a common meal. GCFP also is heavily involved in the Community Problem Solvers Child Fair event

FCSD and GCFP Opportunities and Challenges Food providers constantly change their rules and requirements. 100% volunteer organizations such as GCFP are challenged to keep up with the growing complexity. GCFP growth and expanding role creates financial and organizational challenges. The need continues to grow to meet the need of the “Food Insecure”. Transport of food and other items is becoming more complex. Transition and continuity How do we continue to improve the partnership between FCSD and GCFP?

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