ANNOUNCEMENTS
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
CLIENT TRACKING DATABASE UPDATE: We are excited to offer our partner agencies a no-cost platform to use for client intake. This electronic database will streamline the intake process and allow us to better understand those we serve. This system is currently under development by Feeding America, and we will have the opportunity to bring it to our partners beginning in 2022. This will be a multi-year project, but we will share milestone updates as we reach them.
VIRTUAL GATHERING RECORDING – Former CEO Steve Sellent joined us for a conversation on what the future of food streams will look like through our food bank network. Steve has spent countless hour learning about trends and consulting with experts at Feeding America about how we are going to start seeing shifts in our food streams and what this will mean for all of us. Recording HERE and PowerPoint HERE.
Why have the weekly email reminders stopped?!
- We have partners/programs of all shapes and sizes and partnerships are continuing to evolve – not all partners place orders, some programs are only eligible for deliveries every other month, not all programs do their own ordering, etc.
- One of the biggest drawbacks of email communication is that it is inconsistent and there is no way to update the information once it’s sent. By directing all communication through the Partner Agency Resource Center (PARC), we can ensure the most up-to-date information is always readily accessible without overloading everyone’s inboxes.
- It allows for emails for the most important information to stand out!
- So what does this mean for you?
- We encourage you to download the order and delivery calendar from the PARC!
- Create calendar reminders in your phone and/or email for your ordering and delivery weeks.
- Write them in your planner.
- Highlight your order dates and tack the order and delivery calendar on your wall.
- Consider bringing another staff person and/or volunteer into the mix to help remember!
ANNUAL AGREEMENTS:
- Partnership: Renews your partnership with the GPFB for 2021. Click HERE.
- Retail Food Rescue: Partners picking up at a local retail store(s) will need to complete an agreement. Click HERE.
- NEW this year, partners receiving retail food rescue items from a GPFB truck will also need to sign the addendum in the partnership agreement.
- A $50 annual partnership fee will be invoiced to your account after January 1.
AFFILIATION LETTER: NEW this year, partners who have a separate fiscal and legal sponsor will be required to provide an affiliation letter by January 30, 2021 that will then be updated every other year after. This will also meet the requirement for partners participating in TEFAP. Click HERE for a template.
UPDATED PARTNER HANDBOOK: Click HERE for PDF. Partners are HIGHLY encouraged to read through an updated GPFB food assistance partner handbook in its entirety as many new resources and best practices have been added. Paper copies will be available by request.
ORDER AND DELIVERY CALENDAR: As of January 1 all ‘areas’ will be delivered to on the same week each month. Adjustments may be made for holidays, weather, inventory schedules, or the size of the orders. This is a change that many partners have asked about and we are excited to put it into motion to bring some increased consistency to our operations.
MN P-EBT UPDATE: For partners serving MN residents. Click HERE ( for update information. Students are eligible for the program if they are on SNAP, MFIP, or Tribal TANF or if they are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals. For some families, P-EBT could mean thousands of dollars in grocery money, which is a critical help when so many families are struggling. Can you help spread the word about the new round of P-EBT to the families you serve? We teamed up with Second Harvest Heartland to create some materials to make it easy to share. These materials (along with the materials from DHS) are all available in a Google Drive folder HERE. Time is of the essence in getting the word out to families. Those students enrolled in free and reduced-price meals BEFORE Feb. 28 should get their first P-EBT benefits by late March. Those enrolled March 1 or later will get benefits later.
VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS AVAILABLE: Family Wellness of Fargo is offering a virtual, FREE cooking class! Partners can promote this class to their clients or hang a flyer at their site. The virtual platform allows this class to be available statewide. There is a gift card incentive for participating and all of the groceries will be provided. Encourage clients to sign up early and they will be contacted to coordinate the details. View the flyer HERE.
Join us for a virtual Partner Summit on November 9th, 2020! Thank you to those who joined us! View the recording HERE! Password: AvTy5j5q
SCHEDULE
- Holiday Schedule – GPFB offices and warehouses closed and GPFB retail rescue routes cancelled on scheduled holidays.
- January - NEW Delivery Calendar Starts!
- January 1 - GPFB Closed
- January 18 - GPFB Closed
- April 2 - GPFB Closed
- May 31 - GPFB Closed
- July 5 - GPFB Closed
- September 6 - GPFB Closed
- November 25 & 26 - GPFB Closed
- December 24 & 27 - GPFB Closed
PARTNERSHIP INFORMATION
2021 ORDER AND DELIVERY CALENDAR
ORDERING
- Order Mistakes: email or call John Stone, Inventory Manager at jstone@greatplainsfoodbank.org / 701-476-9124 noting the product number and quantity of items needed or missed.
- Second Orders will now be placed in PWW. Only 1 second order will be accepted and it must be entered by the end of your order timeframe.
- Cass/Clay Partners who PICK UP – the time and date you select when placing your order is when you will be scheduled for pick up. At your scheduled date and time, please come into the volunteer entrance of the warehouse and ring the doorbell. Someone will come and assist you.
- Cass/Clay Partners who get DELIVERY will be on a consistent monthly schedule. If you are unsure of your monthly delivery time, please email or call Anna.
STATISTICS
- NEW for 2020! Voucher Reporting – To better capture the great work our partners are doing community by community, we are asking you to report on voucher programs in partnership with local grocery stores. Currently these innovative partnerships to connect families with fresh and perishable food is not being captured, and we feel it is important information in sharing the story of how together we are ending hunger. When reporting your monthly statistics, there is a line at the very bottom for reporting the dollar amount given in vouchers that month. We do not need information about who your partnership is with or what product the vouchers are for with this reporting, though we would love to hear about it to share with our network. Interested in learning more about voucher programs community partners have established with their local grocery store? Contact your Regional Services Manager to learn more!
RETAIL RESCUE RECEIPTS
- Preferred weekly
- Receipts should be entered by the last work day of the month
BILLING
- Under My Docs Tab
- As of February 2020, we have gone paperless! Statements will no longer be mailed out monthly.
- Balances and unpaid invoices can be found in the My Agency tab in the upper right corner of PWW. Then click on Open AR.
RECALLED ITEM LOG
- CLICK HERE TO VIEW
- View recalls and sign up to receive email updates through the USDA HERE.
- FDA hand sanitizer recall list and updates HERE
RESOURCES
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
501(C)(3) INFORMATION
CLIENT ACCESS
- SAMPLE Pantry Intake – Annual Form, Half Page
- SAMPLE Pantry Intake – Single Use Form
- SAMPLE Meal Site Intake
FOOD SAFETY
- Shelf Life Guide
- ND Meat Donation Guide
- Fridge storage poster
- SAMPLE Temp Log
- SAMPLE Pest Log
- SAMPLE Secondary Distribution Log
FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION
- Meal Programs
- Food Pantries - Food Handler for Food Banking Activities and Quiz
CLIENT RESOURCES
- SNAP Flyer
- Social Security - Despite challenges government and businesses face at this time, we want people to know we remain ready and able to help them by phone with most Social Security matters. Your clients can speak with a representative by calling their local Social Security office or our National Number. We also provide local office phone numbers conveniently online with our Social Security Office Locator. Attached is a flyer/poster that you can customize with the local office number. Although our offices are not providing service for walk-in visitors, we may be able to schedule an appointment for limited, critical issues if we cannot help someone by phone and if they cannot get the information they need or conduct their business online. Please encourage your clients to call or take advantage of our secure and convenient online services to: Apply for Retirement, Disability, and Medicare benefits, Check the status of an application or appeal, Request a replacement Social Security card (in most areas), Print a benefit verification letter, and more.
- WIC – open to working and non-working families, including those who are recently unemployed. Participants in programs like Medicaid, TANF or SNAP are automatically income eligible. Families may qualify for WIC by meeting the income guidelines for the household. Individuals who are pregnant, have a new baby or children under age 5 might also be eligible for WIC.
PARTNER ENABLED RETAIL FOOD RESCUE PICK UPS
- Retail Rescue Manual
- Retail Rescue Receipt Template
- Retail Rescue Q & A Video
- Secondary Distribution Record
ND TEFAP
- 2020-2021 income guidelines
- Civil Rights training – individual
- Civil Rights Training - group certification
- USDA Non-Discrimination Statement – should be on all printed materials
MN TEFAP
Hunger Solutions Minnesota partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Minnesota Department of Human Services-Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), food banks and food pantries to administer Minnesota’s TEFAP program.
INNOVATIVE IDEAS
- Gluten Free Guide for Pantries
- How to Make a Meal Kit – Presentation, Guide for Pantries
- Recipe Ideas for Meal Kits - Farmer’s Market Salad, Lemon and Herb Bean Salad, How to Prepare Dry Beans
- How to Stock Your Food Pantry for Diabetic Diets - Presentation & Guide for Pantries – Use the front page for a client education resource!
- Heart Healthy Diet Education – Presentation & Handout
RECIPES & PRODUCT INFORMATION
CLICK HERE to check out Great Plains Food Bank YouTube page
CLICK HERE for a complete list of upcoming MOBILE FOOD PANTRY locations – we welcome partners to come volunteer, pick up excess product, or do outreach!
CLICK HERE for a complete list of food pantries and meal sites across the state and Clay County, MN