October 2024

Welcome to the Member Services Newsletter for the month of October.

Each month you will find important updates and reminders, featured articles, product spotlights, nutrition resources, network highlights, and much more!

Wegmans East Ave Grocery Run

The 15th annual Wegmans East Ave Grocery Run to benefit Rochester area food pantries is happening on November 2nd, 2024. This event is held by our partners at the Third Presbyterian Church.

To participate, donate or learn more about the event click HERE.

Calendar

October 14th

Indigenous People's Day

Foodlink Closed

October 31st

Halloween

Each quarter someone from our leadership team will be sharing insight on what happens here at Foodlink! This quarter our Member Engagement Manager, Kim Igoe, discusses the Annual Member Survey.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent Annual Member Survey. Your feedback is valuable to us and is used to improve our service to become a better partner with your organization. I wanted to share some of the key insights from the survey, what we heard from you, and some of the ways we are responding. Overall, Foodlink is a trusted partner that can be counted on to meet your needs, but has some opportunities to improve our ordering, delivery, and billing processes to exceed your expectations.

Read more from Kim Igoe, Member Engagement Manager.

View Annual Member Survey results.

Holiday Items

Look out for these holiday themed items on the shopping list coming soon!

• Canned pumpkin
• Chicken stuffing
• Cornmeal
• Chicken broth and chicken stock

Produce Boxes

Please note that for the months of November and December, there will not be produce boxes due to the holiday dairy/produce combo boxes. Produce boxes will pick back up in January. Look out for instructions on how to sign up at a later date!

Enabled Agencies

This is a friendly reminder that all Wegmans donation pickups are required to be reported in MealConnect on a weekly basis.

Shout-out: Melissa Omans from Master's Tabernacle Church Food Pantry in Allegany County picked up 25,150 pounds of food donations in the month of August. Thanks for being a great partner, Melissa!

Church of Love Food Pantry

The food pantry at Church of Love Faith Center is a beacon of inclusivity and compassion. Their pantry sign, displayed in English, Arabic, and Spanish, reflects their commitment to serving a diverse community. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a map showcasing the nationalities they have supported, including Japanese, German, Mongolian, Afghan, and many others. A dedicated wall, adorned with the names of generous donors, expresses gratitude for their support. The pantry offers a special section for children to shop, complete with free books, and a clothing section named "Love Wear." With its warm and inviting atmosphere, the Church of Love food pantry demonstrates a deep understanding of the needs of its community.

Upcoming Level 1 (L1) Food Manager Training

Next training: October 22nd & 24th, 11 am-5 pm on both days at Foodlink

Registration Deadline: October 8th

Registration Link: https://foodlink.jotform.com/232284879936070

L1 and L2 trainings are intended for members that prepare meals for guests.

The trainings are not necessary for members that just store and distribute food, e.g. food pantries. For further information about member food safety training requirements, please review Foodlink's Food Safety Training Policy.

Foodlink offers the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe Food Manager training course and certification exam. This is a national certification and is valid for five years.

The 12-hour course (including exam) is held over 2 days (6 hours/day). Students must receive a 70% or higher on the exam to become certified. Upon request, reasonable accommodation can be made for students who require assistance with the training and/or exam.

For more information about the trainings -- including pricing, grant funding, and exam-only options -- please go to our Food Safety Trainings page.

If you have further questions, please contact Laura at lheld@foodlinkny.org

Contact Member Services

memberservices@foodlinkny.org

(585) 413-5090