Your monthly look into what's happening at the NH Food Bank.

August 2024

The NH Food Bank is happy to introduce you to Stephanie Walker, our new NH Feeding NH Coordinator. Stephanie joins the Agency Relations team after almost 9 years working at Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter. She spent her time there first as a volunteer, then moving in to the Pantry Manager role. Of her many years working in the non-profit world, Stephanie says "One of the best things about working for a non-profit is being able to be that sounding board for clients as sometimes you may be the only person they have to talk to, assuring them they will be ok, and while you can’t fix all their problems you’re here to help with the ones you can."

Stephanie lives in Hillsborough County with her husband Rich and her cat Izzy. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications specializing in marketing and public relations. She enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, reading, cooking and traveling. She looks forward to working with the NH Feeding NH participating programs, and helping these programs benefit from their farm purchases alongside working with NH Farmers.



You can reach Stephanie at stephanie.walker@nhfoodbank.org or at 603-669-9725, ext. 1243.

Agency Order Reminders

*Closed toe shoes are required to enter the building, all year long. Anyone that arrives wearing open toe shoes will be denied entry to the warehouse, and will only be allowed to receive their Agency Express order outdoors. It is also strongly encouraged that closed toe shoes are worn even outdoors when picking up any order. You will encounter pallets and sometimes machinery, both which are safety concerns, and more so with open toe shoes.

*The NH Food Bank is a supplemental source for your program. There may be times that you are ordering and certain items are not available on Agency Express. There is no guarantee that specific items will be available on certain days. We apologize if the item you are looking for is not available on the day that you are placing your order.

*When receiving your order (at our warehouse or at a delivery location), verify the items on your pallet to ensure that all items are present from your invoice. Notify NHFB staff if anything is missing or damaged. All order claims must be addressed within 24 hours to ensure the validity of the claim or locating any missing item.



*Arrive on time for your appointment. You are allotted a 20 minute window to receive your order. There is no need to arrive early as your order will not be brought out early, especially in inclement weather for food safety reasons. If you are late, you must notify the NHFB ahead of time. Arriving late without notifying staff does affect operations and serving other programs.

Agency Spotlight: Camp Sentinel

Center Tuftonboro, NH- Camp Sentinel has been serving children and families from around NH since 1949. Spanning over 600 acres, with views and access to Mt. Flagg, they offer overnight camp and day camps for children, as well as family and group retreats for visitors of all ages. Some campers come from low-income households and receive scholarships or income-based rates to attend camp. Others attend at no cost and come from a variety of situations and areas of NH. The mission at Camp Sentinel is clear and important, “We believe camp is for everyone regardless of finances.” 

Camp Sentinel has been a member agency of the NH Food Bank for over a decade and utilizes the food received to help provide 3 meals a day and snacks for campers. Four times a year, a free community dinner is also served, which is open to anyone in the community that would like to attend. As needed, campers and community members in need are also sent home with food when available. Camp Site Director, Brandon Woody, and his team see camp as a great opportunity for children to grow and learn, but also sees it as a way to reach and make a difference in the community. He adds, “We appreciate your partnership in helping to provide food to the campers of NH.”

Save The Date

Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 10th for our annual Agency Appreciation Event. More details will follow over the next few weeks.

We're hoping to have a guest speaker, some breakout sessions and, of course, lunch and raffles!

Nutrition Corner: Hydration

Thanksgiving

[This is a reminder from June's bulletin.]

Summer has just only started, but the subject of Thanksgiving is already on our minds here at the NH Food Bank. During the most recent NHFB & Partner Agency Network Call, the topic of Thanksgiving was presented. We wanted to be upfront with our partner agencies early on and be sure everyone was made aware that some changes will be made for this holiday season. In years past, the NHFB has distributed thousands of turkeys, vouchers and gift cards annually.

For 2024, the number of turkeys that will be available will be significantly less than what was available last year. We will still have turkeys and gift cards available to request, but we want everyone to know now that we will not be able to provide you with the same amount you may have received in past years. Please use the next few months to adjust your plans, fundraise or gather other donations from your community to supplement your Thanksgiving needs.

As was the case in 2023, we will not be offering any side items on Agency Express unless they are donated, and those items will only be available when ordering online while inventory allows. Additional produce should be ordered on Agency Express, as well.

We appreciate your cooperation and accommodation as we make these changes. If you have any additional questions, please contact your NHFB Coordinator.

Thermometers Available

Per Feeding America and food safety protocol, all refrigerators and freezers at your facility are required to have thermometers actively in use to ensure your appliances are functioning at food safe temperatures. The proper temperature for refrigerators should be between 32-41° F, and proper temperature for freezers should be at or below 0° F. Weekly temperature checks of your equipment should be recorded on any type of log of your choosing. These logs will be reviewed at your annual monitoring visits.

If your program is in need of thermometers, please contact your NHFB coordinator and we will have some added to your next order.

Indoor Shopping Training Video

Anyone at your program who wishes to access NH Food Bank's indoor shopping floor must have proper training. This training is now available online and includes an Indoor Shopping Agreement that must be signed.

The training video can now be found on the NH Food Bank's Agency Portal and then within the Agency Training section. Here is the direct link to view the video. Once the video has been viewed, the viewer needs to complete the Indoor Shopping Agreement that is posted below the video.

Please return the completed form to your program's NHFB Agency Coordinator to be verified and added to your account. If you have any questions, please contact your Agency Relations Coordinator directly.

NH Eats Local

August is NH Eats Local month. NH Eats Local Month is a month-long celebration of local food. From August 1st-31st, the NH Food Alliance and its NH Eats Local Month Partners connect Granite Staters directly to the farmers, fishers, restaurants, food producers, markets and farm stands, co-ops and grocery stores, and other food-related businesses to rally around the bounty of our vibrant food system through the Live Free + Eat Local Challenge, local food events, and more. To learn more about the how you can support local NH food producers and participate in the challenge(for great prizes), visit the NH Eats Local website. If you participate in the NH Feeding NH program, this is a great opportunity to support local farmers as well this month.

To enroll in any upcoming session, please contact your Agency Relations Coordinator. A zoom link will be sent out prior to the class for those who signed up to attend.



New Shopper Orientation

(2 hour online training)

Thursday, August 8th @1:00pm

Tuesday, September 10th @10:00am

_______________________________________

Food Safety Training

(2 Hour online training)

SAFE Food Handling For Food Pantries:

Wednesday, August 7th @3:30pm

Thursday, October 3rd @9:30am

SAFE Food Handling For Soup Kitchens & Prepared Meals:

Monday, August 5th @1:30pm

Thursday, September 26 @2:00pm

All sessions are held online via Zoom.



If you need to acquire food safety training (non-meal sites) but unable to attend a live zoom session, a similar training can be done online at workhub.com/features/training/food-safety or Alison.com/course/food-safety-and-hygiene. Both courses are free, but Alison.com charges to print a certificate. So instead just send us a screenshot of the certificate or a screenshot of your “Learner Record” with the date of completion found in your Account Settings. Please be sure to provide your NHFB Coordinator with proof of completion for either course.

All programs are required to have at least one person at their facility that is Safe Food Handling certified (or a similar certification) at all times. Programs that serve meals are required to have at least 1 person that has ServSafe Food Handlers certification. By June 1st 2025, this requirement will be for ServSafe Manager. All certification is good for 3-5 years depending on the exam.

One Last Note From Agency Relations

*Discussed in June's bulletin, visit www.granitestatemarketmatch.com for more information on the GSMM program. Here is a complete list of the farmer's market sites that are participating in the program for 2024.

*The NHFB's Cooking Matters® program pauses operation each summer and will resume in the Fall. If you are interested in hosting a Cooking Matters class at your facility, you can be added to the waitlist for when sessions resume. Please contact your NHFB Coordinator to be added to the waitlist.

Kristie Deneault: kdeneault@nhfoodbank.org or 669-9725 ext. 1240

Agency Relations Manager

Jocelyn Cheney: jcheney@nhfoodbank.org or 669-9725 ext. 1136

Agency Relations Coordinator for Belknap, Rockingham and Strafford counties

Christy Langlois: clanglois@nhfoodbank.org or 669-9725 ext. 1113

Agency Relations Coordinator for Coos, Carroll, and northern Grafton counties

Stacey Garron: sgarron@nhfoodbank.org or 669-9725 ext. 1119

Agency Relations Coordinator for Cheshire, Sullivan, Merrimack & southern/central Grafton county

Alyssa McKinney: amckinney@nhfoodbank.org or 669-9725 ext. 1124

Agency Relations Coordinator for Hillsborough county

Stephanie Walker: stephanie.walker@nhfoodbank.org or 669-9725 ext. 1243

NH Feeding NH Coordinator