Join the FOOD Share Family

THE FOOD SHARE MISSION STATEMENT

FOOD Share is dedicated to feeding, nourishing and educating the hungry of Ventura county, educating the community about those who are hungry and why, and advocating for a reduction of the root causes of hunger.

THE AGENCY RELATIONS DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Agency Relations Department is to build and maintain positive relationships between the Food Bank and its member agencies while at the same time ensuring that member agencies are in compliance with all Food Bank regulations regarding food storage, food distribution, reporting, and established criteria for Food Bank membership.

 

A copy of FOOD Share’s current All Agency Food Resource List can be found here.

 

Contents:

Becoming An Agency Partner

Basic Eligibility Requirements

Membership Application and Approval Process

What a Partnership offers

Agency Relations Support

 

BECOMING AN AGENCY PARTNER:

While FOOD Share’s partner agencies provide food to more than 55,000 people each month, it is estimated that there are gaps in availability of food resources that leave an equal or greater number of our friends and neighbors unsure about where they will be able to get the food they need for their families and themselves.  If you are thinking about launching a new pantry or meals program, you will have the greatest impact if you are able to find out what resources are currently available in your community and what kinds of food resources are called for to respond to unmet needs.  Once you have an idea of the days, times, geographic areas, or special populations who are facing hunger in the area you seek to serve you will be better able to plan the hours, numbers of  volunteers, and funds you will want to raise to establish your own program.  We have created a basic Pantry Planning Checklist to help agencies simplify this step.  You can download a copy here.  Once you have decided what, when, where, and how, you plan to provide your food distribution or meals program, you will be ready to complete an Agency Membership Application.

 

 

BASIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF FOOD SHARE PARTNER AGENCIES:

To become a FOOD Share partner agency, an organization must: 

1.  Provide evidence that it operates as a non-profit, charitable organization with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt IRS status or meet the 14 point criteria for eligibility established for religious organizations considered to be operating as nonprofit entities. 
    NOTE:  An agency that is appropriately established to provide the pantry or feeding programs it proposes, but that has not yet obtained 501(c)(3) certification from the Internal Revenue Service may also submit a written statement from a sponsoring 501(c)(3) agency that has agreed to provide an “umbrella” subject to FOOD Share’s acceptance of the sponsoring agency.
2.  Provide evidence that it has been organized to serve the needy, ill, disabled, at risk, disadvantaged members of the community, and a description of how it identifies recipients of its assistance.

3.  Provide a Letter of Request to partner with FOOD Share on agency letterhead signed by the Chairman of the Board or Executive Officer of the organization authorized make legal commitments on behalf of the organization.

4.  Agree to distribute food received from the Food Bank to needy individuals at no charge and to maintain a policy of non-discrimination towards all recipients

5. Agree not to sell, trade, or exchange any item received through the food bank; or to transport food out of the country.
6. Have the fiscal ability to provide support for your agency and to pay shared maintenance fees for purchased foods. 

7. Have adequate storage and refrigeration facilities to safely receive, store, and distribute the quantities of food needed in accordance with specified temperature and organizational standards.

8. Agree to follow required documentary procedures, maintain accurate records, and provide all required reporting at the times and in the formats requested by FOOD Share.

9.  Have sufficient staff and/or volunteers to ensure that all bookkeeping and record keeping functions are accurately and fully completed, including maintenance of copies of invoices, activity reports, and other relevant pantry records for at least three (3) years.

10. Agree to participate in mandatory training, to allow annual monitoring by FOOD Share monitors, to follow all warehouse codes of conduct and shopping guidelines, and to make any corrections requested as a result, to ensure compliance with established criteria for food bank participation.

 

 

THE AGENCY MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND APPROVAL PROCESS:

The first step in the process of becoming a FOOD Share Partner Agency is to complete the eligibility self assessment.  Next it is important to find out what resources are currently available within the community in order to identify the days or hours, and type of pantry or meals program that are needed to respond to the greatest unmet food access needs in the community you wish to serve. These decisions will make it possible to set goals as well as to evaluate the kinds of required resources are already available and which must be developed to make it possible to achieve those goals.

Once a basic plan of service is in defined, each agency must complete the food share Agency Membership Application which can be downloaded here.  This packet must be completed with all applicable sections filled out and signed by the agency’s chief executive who has authority to legally make commitments on behalf of the agency (Each agency operates differently, but examples of such a person include the executive director, pastor, or chairperson of your board of directors who makes final decisions about activities and expenditures.)  

  

      FORMS THAT MUST BE COMPLETED AND SIGNED:

            1. Agency Membership Application Packet, including the
                    a. Liability Release Agreement
                    b. Agency Membership Agreement
                    c. FOOD Share Responsibilities to Agency Member

 

      REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS THAT MUST BE SUBMITTED:

            1. Proof of 501(c)(3) (Federal) non profit status or letter on letterhead identifying tax exempt status
            2. A copy of By-Laws & Articles of Incorporation, mission statement, description of method by which participants are determined to be eligible for assistance in existing programs.
            3. Letter of Request to partner with FOOD Share on your agency letterhead signed by the head of your organization.

 

The entire application packet, including all required attachments must be included with the completed forms in an envelope that is returned to:

            Agency Relations Director
            FOOD Share, Ventura County’s Food Bank
            4156 South Bank Road
            Oxnard, CA  93036

 

Once your application and necessary documents have been reviewed and are in order, a site visit to your agency from FOOD Share will be scheduled.  Upon satisfactory site inspection, you will be notified of your acceptance.  Once approved, the application agreements will be counter-signed by FOOD Share, an account number will be assigned, and an agency orientation will be scheduled to review the agency manual, shopping and warehouse guidelines and codes of conduct, data collection and reporting procedures.  The orientation will also provide an opportunity for consultation about any remaining questions.

Applications are processed in the order in which they are received and are reviewed according to many criteria that are not limited solely to the contents of applications or individual agency objectives.  Submission of an application does not guarantee that it will be possible for an agency to become a partner.  In order to ensure flexibility in response to fluctuations in concentrations of need, availability of various kinds of food resources, changes in partner agency capacities, and strategic planning to meet FOOD Share’s long-range goal of eliminating hunger in communities throughout Ventura County, FOOD Share, Inc. reserves the right to solicit, accord, deny, or discontinue partner status of agencies or programs at its sole discretion.

 

 
WHAT A PARTNERSHIP WITH FOOD SHARE OFFERS ITS AGENCIES:
FOOD Share’s Partner Agencies run the gamut of sophistication and stability, yet are typically voluntary, under-funded and working within significant physical constraints. The economic crisis has increased the need for food resources, while also inhibiting the financial resources pantry and feeding programs rely upon. 

In addition to its primary benefit of making quality food products available to agencies at very little or no cost, locally, FOOD Share also operates as a linkage point for membership in the National Feeding America network; a status that makes it possible for partner agencies to receive products that are being donated by corporations and major producers who have contracted with Feeding America to contribute solely to the members of this respected network. 

On a daily basis, FOOD Share staff and volunteers provide public referral information to those seeking food assistance, directing them to our Partner Agencies who offer them local assistance. All FOOD Share departments are engaged in ensuring quality food products reach our hungry friends and neighbors through the dedicated efforts of our Pantry Partners.  Everyone in the FOOD Share family, from the Volunteer Receptionist, to the Executive Director, is committed to the successful achievement of our shared mission of eliminating food insecurity throughout Ventura County.  Interwoven throughout every project, and service provided at FOOD Share, are activities that deliver intentional sustained support for the strength and success of our Partner Agencies.  FOOD Share’s Agency Relations Department is dedicated to the successful enrollment, oversight, training, consultation, and capacity development of Partner Agencies as well as to continuous improvement of systems, and resources that support Partner Agency success.

 

 

AGENCY RELATIONS DEPARTMENT SUPPORT  

The Agency Relations Director manages all of the administrative functions required to assist FOOD Share Partner Agencies to achieve and maintain full compliance with regulations mandated by the Feeding America network, the United States Department of Agricultural, and state and local safe food handling agencies. Ongoing consultative assistance is also provided to Partner Agencies within the context of these activities and includes participation in problem solving for a full range of needs and challenges.  Supportive priorities range from facilitating development of creative strategies for meeting safe food handling standards and compliance requirements within the context of  each agency’s unique delivery system, to identifying community resources and potential approaches to resolving emerging equipment, volunteer, environmental or operational challenges.  As trends are noted, the prevalence of Partner Agency needs for specific resources or assistance directly influence enrichments to support and training opportunities offered to agencies each year.

 

WHAT a partnership with FOOD Share offers to Partner Agencies: 

- The benefits of a 31 year solid history of being the largest Ventura County food resource and the only food bank member of a national network to help feed our hungry
- National network membership that provides bulk purchase products through increasing numbers of national vendor partners
- A commitment to you:
         To help you feed more of those who are hungry
         To share quality donated fresh produce, bread, and dairy products at no cost
         To provide quality shelf stable foods 
         The offer opportunities to participate in targeted programs that feed specific populations
         A administer a USDA commodities program among eligible partners to distribute quality free food from our federal government
         To provide basic food safety and handling training
         To offer volunteer assistance and training in volunteer management
         A FOOD Share agency relations representative who can assist you with
                • building your agency capacities to increase the numbers of people you serve, and problem solving additional storage or refrigeration needs
                • reporting questions during monthly assistance opportunities 
                • problem solving general agency and volunteer challenges
         Grant writing training and assistance for your organization
         Access to funding assistance available through existing FOOD Share program grants
         Nutrition education materials, tips, updates, and training opportunities provided by our registered dietitian.
         Food stamp outreach services to provide education and application assistance to interested clients