When food shelves have the right information, every dollar goes further, leaders can focus on people instead of paperwork, and families receive better food
Two times a year FFEN staff meet individually with hundreds of food shelf leaders across the state for a food sourcing “health check”. This check ensures food shelves are spending their limited dollars in the most effective and sustainable way possible.
Behind this massive effort is Program Coordinator Jenny Moore, who celebrates five years in the role. Moore, along with FFEN Director of Programs Katie Bull, oversees a newly-expanded team of 23 database and data analysis volunteers and two interns, who are key to keeping FFEN’s Strategic Food Sourcing Reports and Consultations free to food shelves.
” My memorable FFEN moment was submitting my first bulk file! It felt good to know that I was using my data analysis skills to help food shelves!”
– Avantika Sahoo
These volunteers are professionals who give their time and skill to help food shelves across the state of Minnesota have access to the data they need to focus on providing fresh foods and culturally relevant options that support health and dignity. They format, clean and quality check the data that fuels the reports. In January alone, these volunteers and interns contributed 156 hours of time toward creating 228 reports for food shelves.
This year, FFEN is scaling up this service with a goal to serve 300 food shelves – 75 percent of those in the state. To meet the need, Moore and Bull recruited additional volunteers to support the work. The resulting reports provide unique, actionable insights; per-person costs, food categories, sourcing patterns, and opportunities for improvement — insights only available through FFEN and otherwise requiring hours and multiple sources to compile.
The impact is clear. Ninety-eight percent of leaders take action based on their report and 59% make budget adjustments using the data. These twice-yearly touchpoints give leaders the clarity to make smart, values-driven decisions at a time when demand continues to grow.
“The onboarding day was quite memorable as I got to connect with fellow analysts who are selfless and making an impact in people’s lives.”
– Vincent Brion
Jenny Moore’s role evolves alongside FFEN’s services
As FFEN’s Strategic Food Sourcing Report and Consultation efforts have expanded, so has Jenny Moore’s leadership. What began as a smaller ad-hoc initiative has evolved into a statewide effort supported by 23 volunteers and two interns.
The team is working together to meet the rising demand for data-driven hunger relief, said Moore, who celebrates their fifth anniversary as program coordinator this month.
When Moore started in the position they were creating 15 reports a year and food shelves were offered these reports as part of deeper project work with FFEN. Now, the goal is to reach 300 food shelves with reports by 2028 – a dramatic increase that required intentional planning behind the scenes.
“We had to think strategically about how to make that happen and how we do it in a way that allows for sustainable growth and continued expansion,” Moore said.
Bringing on volunteers with deep field expertise, along with dedicated interns, has strengthened both the process and the end product. The expanded team, Moore said, brings diverse perspectives and greater capacity.
“Food shelf leaders are able to take this report and run with it to inform organizational decisions that support a more welcoming and predictable experience for shoppers and families visiting the food shelf.” Moore said.
FFEN has long relied on strong pro bono partnerships and a collaborative approach and Moore said this level of impact would not be possible without the time, talent, and commitment of both long-standing and new volunteers and interns who are helping scale this work across the state.
