2. John Bobb-Semple Project Manager for Community Initiatives
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma

3. Session Objectives
Provide an overview of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s operation and explain the conditions that made tiering necessary.
Discuss the structure and step process of the ReThink Hunger Initiative.
Review the lessons learned from the tiering process.

4. Overview Located in Oklahoma City 53 County Service Area
48,000 sq. miles
1,100 deliveries monthly
More than 1,000 partners including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and program sites including
Backpack Program
Kids café
Summer Feeding
Senior Mobile Pantry Programs
48 million lbs. of food in
FY 2013
Papaya
Oversaturation of services in urban area with pockets of food insecurity.
RFBO grew organically over 33 years.
Service area covers Central and Western Oklahoma.
Sister food bank is the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

5. Process 2 year planning process
Research and data from Food Bank and University of Oklahoma School of Engineering
Facilitated by consultants
Committee
Agency representatives
Food industry
Technology sector
Communications sector
Regional Food Bank staff

6. Conditions
1,100 deliveries each month covering 48,000 square miles
The largest concentration of deliveries is in the metro area.
Regional delivery points and consolidated deliveries in the metro area were necessary to increase efficiency.
Dependent on a single distribution point model of operation – putting stress on our transportation system

7. Conditions
In FY12, 25% of our partner agencies delivered 80% of our total pounds to hungry Oklahomans
In FY12, 27% of the Regional Food Bank resources were used to distribute 6% of the total pounds.
We emphasized that we don’t want to lose any agencies but we wanted those of our agencies that could increase their capacity, to do so.
We explained that with more agencies performing at a higher level we can make a larger impact in the community.
It was important that they felt they were apart of the change and that the change wasn’t just happening to them.

8. Analysis Efficiency & Capacity Measures Accessibility Attributes
Total pounds distributed
Pounds per delivery
Percent of Pounds Per Person in Poverty
Accessibility Attributes
Hours of operation, including weekends, evenings, holidays
Serves an identified vulnerable population
In a county with less than 75% PPIP
Partners with RFBO in multiple capacities
Responsive to Food Bank requests and communication
Agency is either an emergency food pantry or soup kitchen

9. Messaging Methods Tools
Branding: Borrowed project name from North Texas Food Bank
21 Town Hall Meetings
Partner Agency Conference
Rethink Hunger Agency Grants
Matching grant up to $5,000
Specifically for equipment
15 grants awarded
Blast reminders
Phone Calls
Videos
“Rethink Hunger is about building a more efficient system to serve hungry Oklahomans more effectively.”
During the series of 21 town hall meetings we really learned the importance of having an honest discussion with the agencies.
ReThink Hunger Grants:
$30, of RFBO funds spent.
$65, total cost of all of the projects.
20 agencies applied
15 agencies were selected

10. Tiers & Structure Visionary Humanitarian Community
Order product from food bank √
600 lbs. Order Minimum
Direct Deliveries
Central Pickup Point Delivery
USDA Priority
High
Low
Agency Grants & Credits Priority
Limited
Handling Fee Rate
$0.09
$0.12
$0.18
Realignment vs Tiering
Tiering partner agencies is valuable for all parties involved, but can come across as ”cold or strictly business”
Realignment depicts the positive side of the change you are working to accomplish.
Efficiency Attributes
Pounds distributed annually
Pounds received per delivery
Agency: County PPIP ratio – This measures the performance of the agency compared to other agencies within the same county.
Partners with RFBO in multiple capacities—Backpack, Kids Cafe, Summer Feeding, Senior Feeding, etc.
Vulnerable Population: Seniors, Women, and Children
PPIP: This attribute looks at the PPIP of the county and compares it to the median PPIP of the state to determine if the county is an underserved area.

11. Lessons Learned Tiering requires the entire Food Bank team.
Transparency is worth the discomfort.
Agencies appreciate being informed about the bigger picture. Uncertainty is worse than change.
Push back is not a guarantee.
Focus on service to the client.
Internal logistics can be the greatest challenge. All departments affected.
Good relationships between the Food Bank and agencies are key.
Agencies weren’t adversarial.
Push back isn’t guaranteed. With good communication push back may not happen.
It is important to have a good relationship with the agencies and understand their relationship with their clients.

12. Contact Information
John Bobb-Semple Project Manager for Community Initiatives Phone:

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