SNAP - November Benefits

Due to the federal government shutdown, the SNAP benefits for the month of November were suspended. Without hesitation, each and every one of our partner agencies stepped up to the challenge of seeing more traffic and new clients. We would like to thank each of you for your commitment to serving those that need it. For additional updates on SNAP and the Federal Government Shutdown please visit the DHHS website here.

Agency Appreciation Event!

Thank you to everyone who attended our annual Agency Appreciation Event on Friday, 10/31. We had so much fun celebrating our Partner Agencies and all the work you have all accomplished this past year. We hope everyone enjoyed the mac 'n cheese Bar, the raffle prizes and the staff entertainment.

We also had a special guest, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander!

Thank you to Manchester Community College for allowing us use of their facility and helping us make this event a success, and to NH Food Bank's Culinary Job Training Kitchen for the wonderful meal! An additional thank you goes out to all of our donors for the raffles this year! And finally, a special thanks to the Agency Relations team for the work they put in for this event and making it a success!

See you all again next year!

Handbook Highlight: Recalls

You may have noticed an increase in the amount of recalls this past month. Please ensure that your agency has a recall process in place to communicate these recalls out to those you serve. It is important to post, email or text your clients to let them know about any recalled items they may have which could be potentially harmful. Just like the NH Food Bank sends out notification to all of you, you should have a system in place to protect your clients from getting sick and/or injured from a recalled product.

Welcome, Marla!

The New Hampshire Food Bank is excited to welcome Marla Soucy to the Agency Relations team as its new Agency Relations Coordinator for Hillsborough County. Marla brings with her a deep passion for community, advocacy, and helping families thrive. Before joining our team, she served as a Family Resources Specialist focused on Housing Stability with the Community Action Partnership of Hillsborough & Rockingham (CAPHR) Counties. Most recently, she was the Program Site Coordinator for the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) at Manchester Community College - an inspiring initiative that empowers and provides families and community members across New Hampshire with civics and leadership skill training.

Marla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations with a minor in Journalism from Emerson College, as well as an Early Intervention Certificate for supporting families with children from birth to age three and a Master’s in Education in Special Education, both from Plymouth State University.

A proud Auburn resident, Marla shares her busy, joy-filled home with her husband and their blended family of six children. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her at a concert, music festival, or volunteering in one of the many communities she loves.

Marla is eager to connect with our partner agencies and strengthen our shared mission to ensure that every New Hampshire resident has access to the nutritious food they need to feed themselves and their families. She enjoys advocacy work and takes pride in helping New Hampshire residents access the basic needs that support their well-being. You can reach Marla directly at Marla.Soucy@nhfoodbank.org or Ext. 1124.

Agency Spotlight: Gather

Congratulations to Gather on their grand opening of their new space! They recently opened New England's first Community Food Center in Portsmouth and this one location holds their full client choice food pantry, a kitchen for them to prepare meals, a space for community meals and more.

This expansion and relocation has been a long time coming for this agency that serves thousands of individuals out in the Seacoast. Take a look at these pictures below from their grand opening on October 10th.

A Message from Agency Relations

We need an updated team picture!

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Helpful Links

Product Feedback Form

Partner Agency Handbook

Find Food Map

Agency Express

Meal Connect

Upcoming Classes

New Shopper Orientation

Please contact your NHFB Coordinator directly for options.

Basic Food Safety Training

SAFE Food Handling For Food Pantries:

Wednesday, November 19th from 10am –12:30pm

SAFE Food Handling For Soup Kitchens & Prepared Meals:

Monday, December 8th from 2:30pm-4:30pm

All sessions are 2 hr. trainings via Zoom.

If you need to acquire food safety training (non-meal sites) but are 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. Alison.com charges to print a certificate. To avoid this cost, send your Agency Coordinator a screenshot of the certificate or a screenshot of your “Learner Record” with the date of completion found in your Account Settings.

Food Manager Certificate Courses

Here are some course and test options for the Food Manager Certificate that meet the meal site requirement for any agency that produces meals.

~ Certificates are valid for 5 years ~

Learn2Serve NH Food Safety Manager:

https://www.360training.com/learn2serve/food-safety-manager/New-Hampshire

$121 Course & Exam

Always Food Safe Manager:

https://alwaysfoodsafe.com/en/food-protection-manager/new-hampshire

$126 Course & Exam

ServSafe Food Protection Manager:

https://www.servsafe.com/ServSafe-Manager/Buy-Manager-Products

$179 Course & Exam