Meeting with Spiritual Roots

Meeting with Tulio O’Reilly—Spiritual Roots Food Pantry
May 5, 2010
9-11:30am

Tullio feels that the 2nd Harvest Model of a “Mobile Pantry” seems to resemble more of a Mass Distribution. He also feels that it would work better if different agencies could distribute from their own sites instead of from one central point. Right now the model works much differently. The pantries would order a truck worth of food, bring volunteers to sort it at the site of the truck, and then distribute to their volunteers. Tullio and I discussed that it might work better if the pantries had the ability to transport the commodities to their individual distribution sites. This solution depends on if Second Harvest needs to increase their number of people served or the amount of pounds they are distributing. Another problem is that most of the pantries do not have the space to store frozen food.

One solution to the storage dilemma might be to use some of the pantries with larger freezer facilities as temporary storage. Tullio suggested talking with Shawsville Lay Minister Association and Community Action who both have walk in freezers. One other solution offered by Tullio addressing distribution would be if all the pantries that participated worked together as opposed to working as individual agencies. For example Community Action could use their system of intakes to determine what type of commodities each client would receive and then direct then to the correct area; for instance there might be 2 or more designated lines—one for USDA, one for non USDA food. Then the other agencies would work out the details concerning sorting and distribution.

Both of these solutions might be difficult to facilitate, but would definitely get organizations thinking about working together in partnerships. However, this only addresses Second Harvest agencies, not all the rest.

Next I will be meeting with different Second Harvest agencies to see if this is an opportunity that they would like to take advantage of. I will also find out what they think might be a viable solution to the proposed opportunity and if there is any way I can help facilitate that solution.