Uses analysis to gauge health of operation
Three staff members at Joyce Uptown Food Shelf anticipate that this year, for the first time, they’ll distribute 1 million pounds of food.
The food shelf sits inside a 1900-era Victorian home on Fremont Avenue South in Minneapolis. On average, the food shelf offers 150 to 160 food shopping appointments a week. Additionally, the team supplies about 900 emergency bags of food a month.
With limited space for storage and an ever-increasing need for food, leaders at the site focus on making the most of every dollar. They have been getting FFEN’s Food Sourcing Analysis Report and Consultation for a few years.
“The most productive thing we got out of it is not necessarily the pounds of produce (we distribute) etc. It’s more about how our system operates and it pokes some holes in the way we’re operating and put a fire under us to make sure what we’re doing is correct.”
Matthew Ayres, executive director, Joyce Uptown food shelf
“The most productive thing we got out of it is not necessarily the pounds of produce (we distribute) etc.,” said Matthew Ayres, executive director. “It’s more about how our system operates and it pokes some holes in the way we’re operating and put a fire under us to make sure what we’re doing is correct.”
Ayres said the report highlighted the need to better track every single pound of food coming through the door. FFEN, he said, sent over a spreadsheet to help them track donations to ensure they captured every single item, from larger donations to individual donations and food coming in from area farms.
The reports are also a way to continually look at food categories and adjust purchasing. For Ayres though, the consultation time is a chance to focus on how to improve the food shelf.
“The ability to spend time going over this with FFEN staff has been a really incredible thing,” he said. “Being able to talk through these processes and spend time (collaborating on solutions).”
Gwen Kelley is the food manager at Joyce Uptown and said she uses the FSA reports to help write grants for the food shelf.
“We get a lot of TEFAP and donated produce, but now we want to shift the budget to increase the amount of produce we buy,” she said.
With the help of a customized Food Sourcing Analysis Report and Consultation, Joyce Uptown:
* Highlighted discrepancies in the way the food shelf was tracking incoming and outgoing food, allowing them to tighten their processes.
* Tracks food categories to consider the amount of money being spent on various foods and adjust purchasing.
* Collaborates with FFEN on organizational efficiencies and processes.
* Builds stronger grant applications, backed by data, in an effort to bring in more fresh food.
* Set goals for the produce budget at the food shelf.
* Maximizes the amount of food rescue and TEFAP coming into the site.
She has written two grants focused on purchasing local produce using the data and one grant that was awarded will supply the food shelf with $79,000 worth of produce and chicken in the coming year. The food shelf is working with The Good Acre to supply fresh foods directly from farmers.
Ayres said the grant allows them to diversify their food sourcing streams.
“We want to support BIPOC farmers, emerging farmers that are just starting up, to get food into people’s homes,” Ayres said.
Kelley said the new partnerships also allow the food shelf to bring in more culturally relevant food for shoppers including tomatillos and hot peppers.
The reports, she said, help her continue to set goals when it comes to the produce budget. She always compares what they’re giving out locally to the statewide median when supplying some of the foods considered most important by shoppers, including produce, meat, dairy and eggs.
The reports have also been a way for her to make sure they are making the most of TEFAP – available foods as food costs and demand continue to increase. The site has maximized its relationships with food rescue partners, capturing food for distribution that can no longer be sold in stores but is safe to eat.
“It allows for more wiggle room to purchase those most important foods,” Kelley said.
