Second Harvest North Florida Volume 12 • Issue 5 • August 2011 www.WeNourishHope.org
Happenings
a newsletter for member agencies
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Member Agency Conference set for Tuesday, Aug. 30 at Household of Faith
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone so quickly, but it is time for our annual member agency conference and Household of Faith has once again graciously offered to host us. The conference will be held at the Household of Faith Ministry Center, located at 1410 West Edgewood Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32208, on Tuesday, Aug. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. We are asking all agencies to send a representative.
This year’s conference will be much more interactive than in years past and will require more participation from attendees in smaller group settings. The day will also include some important information about key changes to food bank policy. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by calling 353.3663, emailing atheodore@WeNourishHope.org, or by alerting the receptionist at the Second Harvest Welcome Center.
Second Harvest North Florida Agency Policy Manual will provide comprehensive policies, procedures Last year we asked all of our agency partners to complete a large packet of information as part of an evaluation and standardization process. Thank you again for participating and helping us ensure that our records were up to date. We know that it was a lot of work to collect all of that information. This year, we are returning the favor by compiling a large “packet” of information about us that each of you will be receiving soon. In the past, Second Harvest North Florida’s policies and procedures have been defined and communicated to you our partner agencies through a wide variety of sources: the agency contract, our new agency training, signs, emails, newsletters and unfortunately a fair bit of “because we said so!” We recognize that this approach has not made it easy for each of you to track our policies, understand our expectations or clearly communicate all the nuances of our operation to your staff and volunteers. To remedy this, we are in the final stages of producing the Second Harvest North Florida Agency Policy Manual, which you will be receiving
in a few weeks. This single comprehensive document will detail all our policies, procedures and expectations in one place. It includes frequently asked questions, sample forms, rules and regulations as well as and simple how-to’s. However, there are two key changes that will affect all our partners beginning Oct. 1, 2011: 1 - Monthly reporting: All agencies will need to submit simple online reports tracking a few basic numbers. Food and/or Mobile Pantry sites will need to report the number of households and individuals served, and on-site feeding programs will need to report meals/snacks served. 2 - Client records: In order to effectively track the data needed for the new monthly report, all agencies will need to keep some basic client records (could be as simple as a distribution log, or as complex as a computer database tracking how often an individual client receives help). Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing more details regarding these new agency requirements, and in the last week of August your agency will receive hard copy and electronic versions of the new policy manual for you to read and review.
Second Harvest Hours of Operation:
Mon.-Fri........................7:30 a.m. - noon
Important Dates:
Last week of August All agencies should receive a hard copy version of the new policy manual in the mail as well as an electronic version via email for you to read and review. August 30 Annual Member Agency Conference at Household of Faith September 30 Receipt and Agreement Form due back to Second Harvest (A brief one page form will be included with the new Agency Policy Manual acknowledging the receipt of, and agreement to, all Second Harvest policies. All Agency Directors will need to sign and return this form to Second Harvest to keep their agency account active.)
Floor Expectations:
This is a gentle reminder to all our partners asking each of you (and each of your volunteers and authorized shoppers) to treat everyone with dignity, compassion, patience and respect. All of us are committed to the common goal of ending hunger in our community, and none of us can accomplish that goal alone – we need one another. Remember that your staff represent your organization or church when they are here on the sharing floor. We all need to be careful with our words and actions.
No Smoking:
As a reminder, Second Harvest North Florida is a smoke-free campus. Please be sure that all your staff and volunteers are aware of this policy and know that smoking is not permitted on Second Harvest property.
WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I TRY TO FEED MY KIDS FIRST AND ME LAST.” “I WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT. THEY ARE CHILDREN AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN N ONCENTRATE ON THEIR STUDIES, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN THE HOME.” “IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN [THAT WE HAVE TO USE THE FOOD BANK], ONLY WHEN WORK SLOWS DOW WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID IT.” “WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I TRY TO FEED MY KIDS FIRST AND ME LAST.” “I WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT. THEY A HILDREN AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN NOT CONCENTRATE ON THEIR STUDIES, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN THE HOME. “IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN [THAT WE HAVE TO USE THE FO