Vermont Foodbank Mission T o GATHER and SHARE quality food and NURTURE partnerships

1. Vermont Foodbank Mission To GATHER and SHARE quality food and NURTURE partnerships so that no one in Vermont will go hungry

2. Vermont FOODBANK • 8 Million Pounds of Food • 1 Million Pounds of Fresh Produce • 45 Staff • 3 Regional Warehouses

3. Vermont FOODBANK • Statewide Food Rescue & Distribution • 270 Partnering Agencies • 86,000 Served Annually • 1 in 7 Vermonters Food Insecure

4. Gleaning program • Established at the VT Foodbank in 2008 • Mission Driven Program • 60-100 Farms • Up to 400,000 lbs/year • Statewide Program Manager • 2 Local Field Reps • Support Staff and Infrastructure • 300+ Volunteers • Partners

5. Field Gleaning / Harvesting • Pick-up of “Seconds” or “Surplus” • Regular Schedule Ideal • Flexibility Needed • Larger Quantities More Efficient • Connect Local Agencies to Farms for Smaller Quantities Gleaning program

6. Program manager & Supporting staff • Oversee Program and Hands-on Support • Food Rescue and Distribution • Volunteer Recruitment and Outreach • Operations, Warehouse and Transportation • Admin/Tech Support • PR and Communications • New Partnerships • Membership on Statewide Working Groups

7. Field Reps • Year-Round / Part-time • Local Focus • Daily Operations • Local Farmer Relations • Send Weekly Gleaning Announcements • Volunteer Scheduling and On-Site Management • Harvesting and Pick-ups • Sorting and Bagging • Supporting Distribution • Record Keeping and Reporting • Managing Supplies • Local Tabling Events • Certified in ServSafe

8. volunteers • Individuals & Families • Groups • Colleges • Employers • Local Schools • NGO’s • Summer Camps • Churches • Department of Corrections

9. Volunteer roles • Harvesting • Pick-Up • Delivering • Sorting and Bagging • Outreach • Collecting Waxed Boxes

10. Volunteer recruitment • Posters • Print Announcements • Press Releases • Create Templates • Program info Email • Gleaning Announcements • Create Regional Email Lists • Keep Track of Volunteer Prospects! • Volunteer Appreciation & Follow-up

11. Gleaning EMAIL announcements • Sent Weekly • Regional / Local Focus • Follow-Up Emails and Phone Calls Needed

12. Volunteer applications • Identify Interests & Availability • Liability Release Statement • Parent/Guardian Permission Slip • Volunteer Driver Registration • Verify insurance, registration, license • Statement of clean driving record • Volunteer mileage reimbursement • Groups provide Certificate of Insurance

13. Supplies • ½ Bushel Small Waxed Box: • 1 1/9Large Waxed Box • Shallow Tomato Boxes • Grape Crates

14. Supplies • Plastic “liner” bags on roll • Plastic “Root” Bags • T-Shirt Bags • Grain Sacks

15. MORE Supplies… • 5 Gallon Buckets • Gaylords • Flip Top Bins • Farmer’s Black Crates

16. Daily supply list • Pick-Up Truck! • Volunteer Applications • Volunteer Sign-in Sheet • Accident Report Forms • Pens / Markers • Paring Knives • Labels • Boxes • Bags • Gloves • Rain Gear • First Aid Kit • Cell Phone • Digital Camera • Scales

17. Working on farms • Communication with Farmers • Contact info • Quantity to Pick-up or Harvest • Timing • Location • Quality • Supplies / Containers Needed • Infrastructure at Farm • Best way to Communicate

18. Working on farms • Maintain and Strengthen Relations • Understand Time Constraints • Bring and Use Own Supplies • Understand What to Take and Where to Go • Don’t Get in the Way • Be Consistent and Reliable

19. Liability & legal issues Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act: • Liability protection for person or gleaner if donations are made in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals. • Liability protection for a nonprofit organization that receives a donation in good faith from a person or gleaner for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.

20. Liability & legal issues Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act: • Absolves food donors of responsibility if their product should accidentally cause any harm to a client of the charitable food system, except in the case of “gross negligence”. • Gross negligence definition: “…voluntary and conscious conduct (including a failure to act) by a person who, at the time of the conduct, knew that the conduct was likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.”

21. Liability & legal issues Landowner Liability: • Vermont state law defines gleaning as a “recreational activity”, which eliminates landowner responsibility for the personal injury or property damage of those who engage in the activity on their land, except when “…the damage or injury is the result of the willful or wanton misconduct of the owner…”

22. Receiving donations • Weigh Entire Donation • Fill out Gift in Kind • Date, Donor Name, Pounds of “VT GROWN” • Entered into Inventory System on a daily basis • Donor mailed monthly receipt automatically for tax deduction purposes

23. First in, First Out • Pallets • Tarps • Signage • Dry Erase Board • Communication storage

24. Transportation of Food • Quickly and as safely as possible. • To the Foodbank with a cold storage facility. • Directly to a soup kitchen that would be using the food immediately. • Creative partnerships. • Coordinate with food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, faith-based organizations and other agencies • Identify types of produce wanted. • What crops are especially useful? • Listen to their needs. • In what quantities? • Schedule - Used immediately in that day's meal or distributed. • Support nutrition education efforts. distribution

25. Deliveries by Volunteer Drivers • “Shopping” at our Distribution Centers • Agency Tailgate Produce Drops • Community Kitchen Academy • Supplementing Produce • Commodity Boxes (CSFP) • NEW! Mobile Food Pantry • Schools • Housing Sites • Summer Feeding Programs distribution

26. IRS CODE & distribution • IRS Code 170(e)3 regulates the method by which donated products are distributed. • Donated product must be distributed for charitable purposes (in service of the needy). • The donated product can not be sold, traded or bartered. • All agencies receiving donated product must be a 501(c)3

27. IRS CODE & distribution • All products donated must be considered as having been donated under the IRS Code, unless the donor clearly provides verification in writing to the contrary. • Many donors do not decide until tax time which donations will be listed as deductions under the IRS Code. So the VT Foodbank follows the IRS Code at all times.

28. IRS CODE & distribution • The VT Foodbank does not provide donated product to schools, hospitals, prisons, that are entities of municipalities. • If a school or hospital is a 501(c)3 it could be eligible. • A food pantry at a public school is ok if run by a 501(c)3 & the public school is simply providing the space.

29. Record keeping • Farmer Contact & Notes • Agency Contact & Notes • Volunteers, Prospects, Activities & Hours

30. Record keeping • Pounds Received – Date, Farm & Types

31. Record keeping • Delivery Sheets

32. Record keeping • Summary of Pounds Distributed • Pounds of ‘Animal Food’ or Waste

33. Communications & media • Photos and Video • Facebook & Social Media • TV News • Press Releases • Website • Blogs • Videos • Radio • Print Advertisements • Newsletters • Letter to Editor

35. TIMELINE December – April • Summarize program impacts and data. • Pick-ups of produce. Sort, bag and box produce. • Organize materials, supplies and work space. Work on Signage and displays. • Supply Inventory and assess needs. • Organize and prepare educational materials. • Contact volunteers, farms, and network partners and plan for the coming gleaning season. • Update poster, press releases and recruitment letters. • Attend special events, conferences, trainings, etc • Work on other projects.

36. TIMELINE May & June • Promote program and recruit volunteers. • Hang posters, submit spring press release and mail recruitment letters. • Identify volunteers to do delivery routes. • Finalize farmer commitments and potential regular gleaning schedule. • Contact partnering agencies to assess interest, notify when deliveries and pick-ups will begin. • Begin gleaning and distribution.

37. TIMELINE July – September • Glean and distribute • Organize sort & bag produce • Continue coordinating volunteers • Call on the VFB pick-up as needed for larger volume • Hang posters and submit fall press release • Reporting and Record Keeping • Send Donor Receipts • Volunteer hours database updated • Thank you email and volunteer follow-up • Reference Volunteer Prospects and Make Calls

38. TIMELINE October & November • Glean and distribute • Organize sort & bag produce • Continue coordinating volunteers • Call on the VFB pick-up as needed for large volume • File organization for next season • Reporting and Record Keeping Continued • Create legacy guide for next season including notes on farms, Partnering Agencies and Key Volunteers. • Thank Volunteers and Farmers. • ID program improvements for next season.

39. Michelle Wallace Program Manager 802-477-4125 802-498-7833 (cell) mwallace@vtfoodbank.org