Your monthly look into what's happening at the NH Food Bank. |
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May 2023
NHFB Closures
Mon. May 29th- Memorial Day
Tues. July 4th- Independence Day
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Welcome,
New Agencies!
- Grow Nashua
- Bethlehem Food Pantry
- Moore Center - Hooksett
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Dear Partner Agencies,
Times are tough, but we persevere. We persevere because we have to. Hundreds of thousands of people in New Hampshire rely on our network of agencies every day, and we know that our network of agencies rely on us here at the NH Food Bank. We are partners and we do everything we can to support our mutual goal of feeding the food insecure people of New Hampshire.
The NH Food Bank supports over 400 partner agencies across the state and we are meant to be supplemental, which means that we should be one of your sources of food, but not the sole provider. We do urge our agencies to host food drives, reach out to their communities, source locally and support your clients within your means. If your agency is finding that items are not provided through the NH Food Bank, we recommend asking for community donations and utilizing the money that you formerly used to pay in shared maintenance fees to get what you need. Our inventory fluctuates from day to day and relies heavily on both monetary and physical donations, which means the same items may not be available week to week. We've heard a lot of feedback about the agency shopping list and quantity limits and want to assure everyone that we are listening and working on solutions going forward.
Through the Covid-19 pandemic, we were very fortunate to receive generous donations that allowed us to provide more options and quantities than we would normally. Now that the pandemic has passed, donations have changed, food prices have increased, and some supply chain issues are still affecting our resources. As these changes in NH Food Bank inventory affect all agencies equally, we ask for your continued patience and cooperation as we adjust and adapt to these changes.
We do our best to provide a healthy variety of food at all times and work to get the perishable foods to you at their freshest. Which brings me to the solutions we're looking toward: Currently, our agencies can order up to 9 days prior to their pickup/delivery date. This has been causing perishable items to go out of stock quickly and sit in our coolers longer. Our solution is to cut the ordering window down to 5 days prior starting in June. This will mean you are getting the freshest product possible for your orders. We are also planning on changing some internal strategies and operating procedures to provide more options on Agency Express in the form of case lot items and salvage boxes. We can't do what we do without all of you, so rest assured that we will continue to strive to serve you all the best we can. Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Kristie Deneault
Agency Relations Manager
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Agency Spotlight: Headrest |
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Lebanon, NH- Founded in 1971, Headrest is a non-profit organization with a mission to assist those affected by “Substance Use Disorder”, experiencing a crisis, or in need of support by providing effective programs and treatments. They also offer support to the family members, friends, neighbors, and employers of their clients.
The residential program has 14 beds and is a low-intensity facility that helps people with “Substance Use Disorder” safely return to the community in a safe and sober environment. The clients are able to focus on developing a foundation in recovery, obtain employment and learn new life skills, including but not limited to nutrition, how to cook healthy meals, and overall better self-care.
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Erin M. is the Director of Residential Services at Headrest and in reflecting on the difference they make in their community, she had this to say: “We had a client come in one time with not much more than the clothing on his back. He was welcomed into the program and provided with some basic toiletries that were a donation from the Food Bank. The client held the bar of soap that was given to him throughout the day and did not say much. Later during a group, the client told staff and his peers how grateful he was to have his own bar of soap, a warm meal, and a safe place.”
Every month when the house receives food from the NH Food Bank, the clients express an immense amount of gratitude and are excited to see what food has come in. The clients are able to cook and enjoy a healthy meal together, which for some has not happened in many years.
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The NH Food Bank is grateful for the continued partnership we have with Headrest, including an additional house we have newly partnered with in another part of the state. The work that the Headrest team does for those in need in our state impacts the whole community, and the NH Food Bank appreciates the chance to provide them with food and other resources in support of their program. |
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A common question among new and existing programs is about product label dates and the shelf life of specific foods. Among several resources that our team can provide to you (see below), we recently learned about the Still Tasty website. This website allows you to search for a specific food item by entering the food into the search box, and then learn about the shelf life of that product and possibly other food safety information depending on the product. You can also browse by category and read from a rotating list of tips and articles.
Additional resources are also available for you to access as needed:
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Nutrition Pantry Program Graduation |
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In 2021, the NHFB became a partner of Leah’s Pantry and was trained in offering its Nutrition Pantry Program to our network of partner agencies. The Nutrition Pantry Program combines the best practices of healthy pantry work grounded in trauma-informed principles and processes that promote a client and community-centered distribution.
In April 2023, Share Outreach, Inc. Food Pantry graduated as a gold certified pantry, meaning that they made significant achievements in each of the programs six-key focus areas.
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The Agency Relations team has partnered with the NHFB's Recipe For Success Nutrition team to create a monthly Agency Learning Series. The majority of these sessions are intended to explore topics that can be used directly within your program to better your experience for your team and your clients.
This month's session will take place on Monday, April 24th at 1pm. The subject will be Cultural and Dietary Restrictions: Providing food that fits you client's preferences and health needs. Click here to register for the May session.
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Have you attended a session in the Agency Learning Series?
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I want to, but have no been able to yet.
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No, the dates/time do not work for me. (4th Mon@1pm)
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No, I am not interested in attending.
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Spring has sprung and it is time to think about a kitchen cleaning and refresh. While food safety is always a top priority, having a clean storage and work space also provides a welcoming and appealing space for you and your clients.
Here are some tips taken directly from the USDA website.
- Clean spills immediately – Clean surfaces thoroughly with warm, soapy water; then rinse. Do not use solvent cleaning agents or abrasives, as these may allow chemical fumes/tastes into your food and ice cubes and make them unsafe to eat.
- Clean the exterior – Keep your refrigerator free of dust and lint. Clean the condenser coil several times a year with a brush or vacuum cleaner to remove dirt, lint or other accumulations to ensure efficiency and maintain proper temperature.
- Check your cans – Discard cans that are leaking, rusted, bulging or badly dented. Never use food from cracked jars, jars with loose or bulging lids, or any container that spurts liquid when you open it.
- Throw out any food you suspect is spoiled – Never taste food to determine its safety. Wipe off sticky containers, along with crumbs and spills on your pantry shelves with all-purpose cleaner, vinegar, or warm soap and water.
- Check the dates on your foods – “USE by” date indicates that perishable products should be consumed by the date listed on the package or discarded once the date has passed. “BEST if Used By” date informs shoppers that after the specified date, the shelf-stable product is safe to use or consume, but has exceeded the window of its optimal taste or performance. High-acid canned food such as tomatoes, grapefruit and pineapple have a shelf life of 12 to 18 months beyond their listed dates. Low-acid canned food such as meat, poultry, fish and most vegetables can be kept for two to five years beyond their listed dates — if the can remains in good condition and has been stored in a cool, clean and dry place.
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/03/14/planning-some-spring-cleaning-check-list-food-safe-pantry-and-refrigerator
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All sessions are held online using Zoom.
To enroll in any upcoming session, please contact your Agency Relations Coordinator. A zoom link will be sent out to those who signed up prior to the class.
New Shopper Orientation
Wednesday, May 10th at 10:00am
Tuesday, May 30th at 1:00pm
Thursday, June 8th @10:00am
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All programs are required to have at least one person at their facility that is Safe Food Handling certified.
Safe Food Handling
For Food Pantries:
Tuesday, June 6th @9:30am
Wednesday, June 7th @9:30am
(June 7th session is an in-person session, and will be held in Manchester. Sign up for the location details.)
Thursday, August 3rd @4:00pm
For Soup Kitchens & Prepared Meals:
Tuesday, May 23rd @2pm
Wednesday, September 20th @2pm
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One Last Note From Agency Relations |
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- There have been some questions lately asking "When is the best time to place my order?". The answer is simply "There is no best time". Our inventory changes daily and is updated as items are added and go out of stock. There is no day or time that is best to order as there is no certain day where inventory is better than others.
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The NH Feeding NH program will kick off for the 2023 season this month. If you are a participating agency, keep any eye out for the updated contract and required forms for participation. They will be emailed out by Jess and also located in the Agency Portal.
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Have you missed out on viewing any past bulletins? Visit the Agency Portal to see an archive of past bulletins.
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Agency Relations Manager.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Belknap, Rockingham and Strafford counties.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Coos, Carroll, and northern Grafton counties.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Cheshire, Sullivan, Merrimack & southern/central Grafton county.
Agency Relations Coordinator for Hillsborough county.
Agency Training and Resource Coordinator.
NH Feeding NH Program Coordinator for all of NH.
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