Food Pantry Operations During COVID-19

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Food Pantry Operations During COVID-19

 

Colleges Operating Virtual Food Pantries

Most of these have not been set up in response to COVID-19 and have partnerships to help them run.

• • • • E-Gift Cards: University of South California set up a virtual food pantry Links to an external site. in 2017 whereby they email students a gift card for a local grocery store. This allows the student to buy what they need and they can have their groceries delivered or go to the store. Foothill College Links to an external site. is also starting to offer e-gift cards as an alternative to their regular service.
      • Students Shop Online: University of Buffalo Links to an external site. allows students in need to shop online from a range of healthy foods and then someone bags them up so they are ready for the student to pick up from campus. They are remaining open while the campus is open but have also started an emergency relief program whereby they pre-bag a selection of items and any student that can’t come during their normal service hours, can pick up an emergency bag of food whenever they can get to campus.
        • • Here’s an example of one university’s simple order form Links to an external site.. They have a 24-hour period turnaround timeline.
          • East Central Community College Links to an external site. has students submit their form to the pantry leader who organizes how the student gets their groceries.
      • Online Order, curbside Pickup: SUNY Ulster Links to an external site. has a form for students in need to complete. Once their groceries are bagged, they can pick them up from a designated location on campus.
      • MyGroceryU: This organization helps universities to set up virtual food pantries Links to an external site..

 

Other Strategies for Getting Food to Families

• • • • Social Distancing Protocols: All pantries we’ve seen that are staying open have implemented social distancing protocols, including stickers on the ground instructing students where is safe to stand, protective wear, pre-bagging groceries, including sanitizing items in with the groceries, appointment scheduling, only allowing one or two people in at once, and setting up collection zones in the open air spaces.
      • Delivery instead of Pick Up: Some college pantries are moving to delivering large sets of groceries via a mobile pantry Links to an external site. or staff volunteers rather than asking families to show up to collect food. Colleges that have not set up delivery options are setting up curbside pick-up and are encouraging those students who may be immunocompromised to send someone else to pick up their groceries and have them leave them outside their home.
      • Leveraging campus Food Providers: USC is also offering students 2 meals per day to pick up from one of their campus dining halls.
      • SNAP Applications: Many pantries are helping more students to apply for SNAP who may not have been eligible beforehand.
      • Close the pantry and direct students to local food banks: Many colleges do not feel equipped to operate their pantry during the pandemic and are closing down completely. All colleges we have seen doing this are clearly directing their students to the community food bank and other local food resources. Northern Virginia Community College, for example, has set up an emergency referral to their partner organization so students get served quickly.

 

Collecting Donations

• • • • Move to Virtual Food Drives: Food banks across the country are switching to virtual food drives to collect donations online and are not accepting in-kind donations. There are two ways they are organizing this to incentivize donations:
        • • Donors can pick the items they want to donate and add them to their virtual cart and check out online when they are done. This is designed to replace the feeling of going to the grocery store to buy foods to donate. Some food banks are asking for individual items Links to an external site., while others are asking primarily for bulk items Links to an external site..
          • Donors can pick an amount to donate that shows how many meals it could provide for a family of four. This helps the donor feel connected to the impact of their donation.