Spring 2014                                Food Storage & Safety 

New Programs
                   
Hood/Hamilton County Pantry Express started on March 7th.
The three drop off locations are:

 

Neighbor Helping Neighbor        

301 Loop 567 at FM 51

Granbury, TX 76048

 

Hamilton United Care   

111 W. Ross

Hamilton, TX 76531

 

First United Methodist Church Family Life Center            

400 W. First St. 

Hico, TX 76457-6435 

 

The expected turnout is 100-250 families at each location. Thank you Hood and Hamilton pantries!

College Pantry started on March 21st at the Denton Wesley Foundation located on the University of North Texas campus 1501 Maple St.
Denton, TX 76201.
More info on their website.


Farmers Market Nutrition Program

 

fmnp produce tables 2012 For the third year, the Food Bank is partnering with Tarrant County Public Health to bring the Texas Department of Agriculture's Farmers Market Nutrition Program to Tarrant County. During June through September, Tarrant County women and children receiving WIC benefits will be eligible to receive $30 per person in vouchers that can be used to purchase fresh produce from local farmers. Clients who are interested in participating in the program should request a brochure and a copy of their shopping list from their WIC clinic beginning in May.

 

For questions about the program, please contact Samantha Morgan.

 

 

Tarrant Area Food Bank's Summer Food Service Program

 

SFSP is now taking applications from organizations interested in serving summer meals to children in 2014. Prospective meal sites are asked to complete the SFSP Application. Download the application, a Word document which may take up to 30 seconds to appear. Fill it in on your computer. Save the completed document. Email it as an attachment to Sarah Centeno, Food for Kids Coordinator.

 

These summer meal sites can be at community centers, apartment complexes, churches and other locations throughout the communities. Tarrant Area Food Bank serves as a sponsor of SFSP feeding sites; the program is run by the Texas Department of Agriculture and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

 

There are no income requirements or registration. Any child under age 18 may come to eat. Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
 
 
ServSafe Manager    

 

Training will be held on Thursday, May 22 and Thursday, October 23 in Fort Worth for Food Bank Partner Agencies operating feeding programs. Agencies are required to have a minimum of one staff member certified for their organization, and a copy of the certificate on file at the Food Bank. Certificates are good for 5 years. Go
herefor more information and to register.

Have Questions?

List of TAFB representatives to contact

 

Main: 817.332.9177

 

Agency Partnerships: Site visits, accounts, general agency questions, Civil Rights, ServSafe trainings, Agency web pages

[email protected],

ext. 106; cell:817-797-1206,

 

Mobile Solutions: Mobile Pantry, Pantry Express, Satellite Delivery

[email protected],

ext. 162

 

Community Impact: New programs, area mapping

[email protected],

ext. 123

 

Store Donation:

Sign-up, questions on store partnerships

North - [email protected]

South - [email protected]

 

Children's Programs: Backpack, Kids Cafes, SFSP, CACFP

[email protected],

ext. 124

School Pantry, Meals for Minds

[email protected],

ext. 161

 

Volunteer Services: QC volunteering, information sharing on how to recruit volunteers

[email protected],

ext. 151 

 

Agency Billing and Payments:

[email protected],

ext. 114

 

Nutrition Services:

Cooking Matters

[email protected],

ext. 107 

Community Garden Program

[email protected], ext. 163

 

Agency Capacity: Agency capacity plan, ranking system, capacity building, workshops

[email protected], ext. 102

 

Social Services Outreach: SNAP/Food Stamp applications and related services

[email protected],

ext. 139 

 

Community Kitchen: Culinary job an training

[email protected],

ext. 144 


Tarrant Area Food Bank
2600 Cullen Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107 
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Agency Spotlight: 

 

Recently, Tarrant Area Food Bank visited Arlington Charities to see the changes that were made to their pantry service, moving from pre-made bags to client choice. After visiting with Executive Director Melanie Gibson, we learned several things on the positive impact client choice has on volunteers and customers.

 

The general flow is for clients to come into the waiting room for intake and then they are taken to the pantry room where all the shelf stable items are kept. Each client is assisted by a shopper helper that helps them move through the process of selecting their items. All canned items are on one side of the pantry, freezers for meat in the central area and cereal/rice items on the opposite side. Clients know how much they can take of any item and are able to choose based on general guidelines. Meat items are separated by protein type: pork, beef, chicken, etc. Having all the options available helps the pantry consider any dietary restrictions they might have.

 

After the pantry room, clients are taken to the produce and bread sections. They are told to take as much as they want when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables. Right before the exit, they have their choice of several bread and sweets. 

 

The pantry is run first come, first served and clients are walking away with items that they are willing to take home and eat. Melanie said she has seen a reduction in the amount of trash and waste of food due to these changes. They are also able to serve more people in the same amount of time as before. Training the volunteers is what kept the flow going at a decent pace. Client choice also allows the pantry to be flexible in what they can purchase from the food bank. Any gaps in products, they fill from other sources like food drives and grocery stores.

 

Arlington Charities' pantry serves 57-60 households a day, almost a 10 percent increase in service. Clients are able to come once a month to get service and they are able to walk away with a variety of canned items, rice and cereal, meats, fresh produce, bread and other miscellaneous products. The food is supposed to last a week and limits on the amount they can take is based on household size.

 

Thank you Cathy Erakovich and Melanie Gibson for taking the time to give TAFB a tour of the new program and being so welcoming!

 

Click on the Clients Choice link to download our manual.  

Client Choice
Client Choice Pantry - Arlington Charities

 

Keeping Food Fresh 

 

Get more information at www.heart.org/simplecooking

Keeping Food Safe: Storage

 

Food Safety is important in order for the items received can last longer and remains healthy for clients. Here is some information from the agency manual that food pantry coordinators must be aware of:

  • All refrigerators and freezers must be equipped with thermometers inside.
  • Temperatures for both refrigerators and freezers should be read and logged every 48 to 72 hours. Temperature logs must be kept. (See samples of temperature logs)

    • Refrigerators should read between 33 to 40 degrees and freezers should read 20 to 0 degrees or below.

Storing Fresh Foods

Food that does not require refrigeration or freezing can be stored at room temperature up to 72 degrees.

  • Any space you use to store food should be only for storing food
  • Check grains, rice, nuts, seeds, spices, etc. regularly for signs of pests
  • Most produce should be stored at 40.

Storing Refrigerated Foods

  • Keep refrigerator temperature between 33-40 degrees. Temperatures above 40 degrees promote bacteria growth and below 32 degrees food begins to freeze. Check and log temperature every 48 to 72 hours.
  • Do not pack food tightly in the refrigerator. Cold air must be able to circulate around the food.

Storing Frozen Foods

  • Food that is frozen solid will stay safe to eat for a long time. However, watch for freezer burn or ice developing on the food because this will take away from the taste of the food.
  • Pack food in clean, covered containers with labels that show the name of the food, the date received.
  • Defrost freezers as needed to keep them clean and operating well.
  • Do not pack food tightly in freezer. Cold air must be able to circulate around the food.
  • You need a backup plan to protect your food in case of a power loss. If food has already begun to defrost, you may not re-freeze the food.

Power Outage

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. 

 

Obtain dry ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic foot freezer for 2 days. Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.

 

Be prepared for an emergency by having items on hand that don't require refrigeration and can be eaten without heating. Shelf-stable food, dry or canned milk, water, and canned goods should be available to assist clients in case of an emergency. If possible, keep hand-held can openers on hand for client use.

 

Keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator, cooler and freezer at all times. When the power goes out, a built in thermometer will no longer work; an appliance thermometer will always indicate the temperature in the refrigerator or freezer regardless of how long the power has been off.  

Food Safety Developments at TAFB

 

Did you know the Tarrant Area Food Bank is audited for food safety? In addition to Feeding America, USDA, and donor partners, we have participated in annual food safety audits with AIB, a national third-party auditor. Thus far, we have conducted two training audits of our warehouse and administrative facilities. This fall, we plan to have our first scored audit.

 

From these audits, we've received valuable feedback and training on how to further improve our processes as they relate to food handling. From receiving, to distribution and every step in between, we're making changes to meet both regulatory and industry standards. Some of the improvements we've made include:

  • Developing an inter-departmental Food Safety CK Navy volunteers 3.23.11Committee.
  • Creating an organizational Food Safety Policy.

  • Provided food safety training to additional staff in key positions, such as our truck drivers.

  • Begun developing seafood HACCP plans for the warehouse and Community Kitchen.

We'll be sharing more about developments in food safety as they happen, but for now, we'd like to share an excerpt from our Food Safety Policy, which will be distributed to Partner Agencies in the next few months. To fulfill our commitment to food safety, we're committed to: 

  • Implement good food safety practices.

  • Control the supply chain to prevent, eliminate, or reduce potential hazards to food in our possession, including the use of HACCP when necessary.

  • Provide adequate training for all staff, temporary workers, volunteers, or any others that come in contact with food products in our facility.

  • Be accountable by measuring compliance against performance standards on an on-going basis.

  • Communicate our values for food safety and develop a strong food safety culture.

  • Ensure continual improvement in food safety performance.

Overworked and Under-paid: Volunteer Burnout

  
As non-profit staff, we can all sympathize with feeling burned-out in our jobs. Your very best volunteers are especially subject to feeling overworked, stressed, tired and overwhelmed.  So what do YOU do, as the Volunteer Manager, to ensure that volunteers stay refreshed and ready to work? In "Preventing Volunteer Burnout," the writer gives sure-fire strategies to help your volunteers keep their cool while giving their all. Read more...
 
"The main thing is to keep your volunteers feeling great about what they are doing. Think for the long-term. I know your cause is great, and you desperately want to do even more than you are, but remember without the volunteers you will actually have less of an impact in the long run. They are the key to your future." - James Robbins, 5 Steps For Preventing Volunteer Burnout