Church Food Pantry Guidelines

Congregational faith and community based organizations desiring to provide outreach services through food pantry projects should consider if they want to initiate a new food pantry service or support an existing one.

Church food pantry guidelines.

Key to the decision is the organization s ability to foster and sustain the necessary financial and volunteer resources. How much food storage do i need. According to the church s website the food distribution will carry on in september in anaheim corona irvine south lake forest laguna woods rancho capistrano and san clemente areas. Start a food pantry program.

Schedule volunteers to work in the pantry. The committee might post a sign up list in the church or call individuals who they think are best suited for this work. Take the amount of food you would need to purchase to feed your family for a day and multiply that by 7. Three good sources of interested people are.

People in need of food no one can you give you a better idea about what services are needed in the community. Social service agencies people working in social services have an awareness of the need and experience with working to meet those needs. Food pantries are required to maintain certain documents regarding their activities. If you are unable to respect this policy then pantry staff or volunteers under the guidance of the supervisor on duty will have no choice but to ask you to leave.

This may be a church wide effort in which members bring items or sunday school classes collect donations from those who attend. If possible make the pantry accessible at various times. The daily bread community food pantry requests that all pantry participants behave appropriately and treat all staff volunteers and other pantry participants with respect and dignity. For example food pantries that distribute usda supplied food must have documents signed by the recipients that confirm their eligibility.

Procure food for the pantry. As you develop a longer term storage focus on food staples such as wheat rice pasta oats beans and potatoes that can last 30 years or more. Learn more about a long term food supply. While you should examine all goods carefully before they are offered to.

Pantry or storage area should smell clean no mold mildew or chemical smells spoilage is another area of concern as some product received by food pantries will be either out dated or close to it. The church is inviting more volunteers to provide help to the community.