How To Get Started?
Things to consider if you are thinking about starting your own Food 4 Health program.
Needs Assessment
Conduct a needs assessment by using the 2-Item Food Insecurity Screener and other appropriate questions to ensure that food access is a concern for the clients that you serve. Based off the needs assessment incorporate or tailor the program to fit their needs.
Funding
Your agency may need to secure funding in order to supply the shelf stable, health-focused food.
Collaborative grants that focus on the life cycle of poverty and food insecurity via grant securing organizations, city or county grant programs, health care insurers, or large health care and hospital entities should all be considered as possible funding streams.
Based on funding, determine how long you can implement your feeding program and/or to what magnitude you can implement the program. If you’re unable to provide all of the foods traditionally offered in the box, you may decide to offer some of the foods or only the healthy bonus food items.
Boxes
If funding or budget does not allow for it, you do not have to supply all of the foods in the box. Think about the items that may be most beneficial to your clients and start there.
Items also do not have to be placed in a box. Boxes can be expensive or difficult to find, so consider grocery or tote bags, or you can set up a pantry within your agency to house the shelf stable foods.
Food Safe Space
Food items should be stored in a food safe space. The general rule of thumb is to store food away from medical or hazardous chemicals and equipment, and to store food 6-inches off the ground and 4-inches away from the wall.
Number boxes or bags in the numerical order that they are assembled to ensure that you are distributing based on the FIFO method (First In First Out).
o I need to communicate with anyone from NTFB prior to hosting a canned food drive? If you would like your Canned Food Drive to benefit NTFB, we ask that you review the Canned Food Drive Handbook and register your drive with us so we are able to best support you. Please register each pickup location individually.