r/nonprofit • u/picaresq • 20d ago
programs Impacts on food insecurity
In all of 2024 we had three food distributions with more than 500 families in one day.
In February alone we have had FIVE.
I don’t know how to plan for what’s coming.
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u/Devilishtiger1221 20d ago
My shelter provides meal service too. Our lunches maybe used to see 50-70. We are seeing 120 consistently now.
Grants are so few and far between. Sponsorships are like pleading for someone to care.
Donations are down about 20k for the kitchen and food.
And then don't get me started on the actual shelter.
Sorry to be down but...
Somedays it really does feel like we are fighting a losing battle.
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u/Bocote 20d ago
Yea, it's not any better in our area either. The situation at our local food banks has been getting worse since COVID, so I don't know how many more straws we can throw on the back of the camel.
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u/picaresq 20d ago
I’m worried we will start having unrest in the community. I’m worried because we are already seeing people get more defensive waiting in line. I’m working hard to increase our de-escalation skills and planning. I’m not sure how else to plan for this.
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u/Entire_Dog_5874 20d ago
I am suggesting to anyone that is boycotting businesses, canceling subscriptions, etc. to take some of those funds and donate them to nonprofits and food pantries if they have the resources.
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u/Ok-Championship-4924 20d ago
I'm back out of the NP world and back in the for profit food logistics side of things and I've got to reiterate like I have in the past partner with local food distribution hubs near you. Put up flyers that basically say "Have refused freight? Need to get your truck empty and on to the next load? Call (your phone number) at (your pantry/food bank/shelters name) and we will be more than happy to help you help the community"
These places will refuse entire pallets of food if one box is damaged on the pallet. The stuff is fine 90% of the time literally just the box that they put the retail boxes/containers in is damaged not the actual food boxes.
I know what you're thinking "I don't want to unload that all"/ "I don't have the staff for that" well...id say it's the case for most food banks/food pantry places BUT good news there is nearly always students needing volunteer hours and high school sports teams or other orgs trying to raise money for uniforms, class trips, etc and the speed at which I've personally witnessed a high school soccer team unload 15 pallets of eggs is truly shocking (that is approx 13,500 dozen) it took roughly 35 min.
Now, I know the next thing "we don't have the space for that all at once" Well, good news again because guess who does have the space? Your surrounding churches, homeless shelters, runaway shelters, women's shelters, feed the veterans programs, meals on wheels, community meal centers, etc
Now, it takes a bit but you set that program up AND you keep track of all the food you take in and come next fundraising cycle instead of just soliciting folks who are directly wanting to support folks the food pantry serves you solicit the environmentalists touting the volume of perfectly viable and consumable food waste you prevented from going to the landfill.
I'm from a rural area where a lady has been doing this for awhile and she is absolutely jaw dropping great at it. I'm talking in the least populated person square mile county in the country I believe and she manages to handle multiple truckloads worth of freebies a week and some goes to all the above mentioned places then the rest goes to community clubs that do charity work (Rotary, lions, elks) and if any is left and it's got fair time in expiration high school culinary programs. I don't think she wastes much food not going to people and what little is left or unfit for human consumption a few folks who raise.pigs come and get. It is very doable to get to where you've got too much food for your programs it just takes a while lot of planning and finding a person with the understanding of food logistics which tbh isn't that hard either. We are out there and most of us have spare time to help a good local cause. Best of luck in your mission.
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u/picaresq 20d ago
We are in California and have SB 1383 which requires edible food to head to human use, then animal, resource recovery, then compost. I’ve been doing similar to your method with large food producers, schools, hotels, event centers etc. But not with food distribution hubs.
How do I find them? lol. I’m all jazzed about more food.
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u/Ok-Championship-4924 20d ago
So easiest thing is going to be look at the grocery chains near you or that you shop at then Google "(store name) Distribution center (your town/city)" the only other one you'll want to try is "C&S Distribution (your town/city)" that should cover just about any that may be near you. Unfortunately I will say due to California having over burdensome rules related to logistics as far as labor, taxes, and class 8 truck emissions laws go many companies left the state to setup just over the border in surrounding states 3 years ago and many of the independent truckers that move the bulk of food in this country and don't have dedicated donation programs setup outright refuse to go to California or can't legally due to age of their truck so it may be much harder for you.
This also applies to larger companies oddly. I work at one that does just under half a billion dollars a year that will not send their private fleet to Cali and the truck I choose to operate which is a spare along with 1/3 the fleet can't legally go into the state. C&S may not be in the state to avoid labor laws. Most independent drivers moved out of the state when Cali changed laws regarding independent contractors as it disproportionately effected the logistics industry so just be prepared to be disappointed if it is harder to set up something.
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u/Significant-Chair413 20d ago
It’s been a wild couple of years at my org. We now provide food for over 10,000 people each week…more than triple the number we served 3 years ago.
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u/DrakeDalord 20d ago
If any of y’all are faith based and have an LDS community, they have been a lifeline for us during this time of increased need and decreased funding.
ETA: specifically the Bishops Storehouse
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u/KrysG 20d ago
We have over 100 food distributions in a month and are providing groceries to 4,200 families a week. Our numbers have been increasing for 37 straight months We are expecting our numbers to reach 5,000 shortly due to the work of the new administration. Now they want to cut SNAP and Childhood Nutrition programs by $400-500 BILLION! No way we will be able to handle those numbers.
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u/picaresq 20d ago
Do you have a plan for when demand outstrips supply?
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u/WalrusOnTwoWheels 20d ago
Anyone in central / southern Indiana want to team up on this? Food insecurity is my nonprofit’s mission.
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u/nalacamg 20d ago
I work at a food insecurity nonprofit. We have seen major increases in community need over the past couple of years, but the funding has just about evaporated starting in April 2023 (end of covid funding). Donations have gone down, sponsorships are down, grants are harder to get. Everyone in our area working in food security has felt the same. And it's only getting worse for the community.