The number of visits at Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners (IOCP) has increased more than 20 percent in the first quarter of the year. Leaders and volunteers are working together to figure out the best way to accommodate more shoppers and food.
The team turned to FFEN for help optimizing their physical space as they work to increase their service hours, protein offerings and even, their home delivery service.
From simple bagging changes that free up time and capacity and reduce food waste, to larger systemic changes, the team talked about challenges.
“We were just really trying to analyze and think about how, if we could fix some small problems, it could have a snowball effect and make things easier for our shoppers, volunteers and staff,” said Andy Swerine, food shelf manager at IOCP.
“We were just really trying to analyze and think about how, if we could fix some small problems, it could have a snowball effect and make things easier for our shoppers, volunteers and staff.”
Andy Swerine, food shelf manager at IOCP
As IOCP grows, its staff anticipates they’ll be managing 20 percent more food.
Through FFEN, they consulted with Jack Tift, a Lean Manager at M.A. Mortenson Co. Tift asked questions about the team’s processes and highlighted areas where things might be streamlined. As a result of the work with FFEN’s staff and volunteers, the team realized they no longer needed to spend time or resources bagging apples, oranges and potatoes the way they were required to during COVID. They learned simple signage changes could make it easier for volunteers to stock shelves and for shoppers to access the foods.
Then, they opted into FFEN’s layout design service. Project Manager and FFEN volunteer Karen Randall is providing oversight while FFEN layout/design volunteers Asmita Kerkar and Katherine Leonidas are making suggestions on how the space may become more efficient and serve more people.
The volunteers and leaders from the food shelf, which is certified as a SuperShelf, took part in a co-design session with the FFEN team. Together, they huddled around a table to physically draw out various options for utilizing the food shelf space in a different way.
Katie Bull, Director of Programs for FFEN, said the process was engaging.
“Volunteers got really excited about the possibilities for the space,” Bull said.
The IOCP food shelf has already made many of the improvements to its services and they are working to implement others. The process, Swerine said, has encouraged volunteers to bring up ideas and suggestions for improvement more regularly.
“It has really empowered our volunteers to let us know what we can do to make it easier and better for them,” he said. “The better experience our volunteers have, makes it a better experience for guests when they’re shopping.”
The team will continue to work with FFEN in the coming weeks as they make final decisions for how the space will look and function.
