Laying the groundwork for an effective and resilient network involves a few key components, beginning with building relationships. This is not a quick or clear process, yet without trust, the Washington Gleaning Network cannot possibly have the larger conversations needed to create a collaborative space…
Similar Goals and Programming If there are organizations doing something similar, why bother competing? Collaboration can allow you to support one another, exchange ideas, and possibly co-sponsor events or classes. This reduces the chances of volunteer recruitment becoming a competition. You may even find it…
While growing the Produce Buyers Club program, building relationships with the food pantries is crucial. It is important to establish a relationship with the organizations. Concrete Jungle uses the following ways to build relationships: Establish Connection: The first part of building relationships is establishing connection….
A Pick-A-Thon is an event that allows for two organizations to benefit mutually. A produce recovery organization benefits from a gleaning event for a day or multiple days, while the other organization has an event in which they can raise money. Northwest Harvest Yakima and…
Assess Potential Volunteer Sources Identify organizations and institutions in your area. Do they already do volunteer work? Hunger relief is an easy sell to organizations. When you tack on the added benefit of waste reduction it is even more enticing to environmentally conscious groups. If…
To succeed in retaining well-meaning volunteers or donors you must be able to demonstrate the necessity of their participation by connecting them with a problem that has a mutually beneficial solution. In the development of a PAR program those solutions may look like this: Community…
How to network with food assistance organization – Wholesaling with Farm to Community at Harvest Against Hunger Many farmers want to get involved in food assistance programming in their communities, whether to build wholesaling relationships, assist in community-building projects, or some combination of the two….
Partnerships that rely on shared goals in the realm of food access often revolve around a target community, the food insecure population or the low-income population. Often, these two communities overlap. In general, a suggested first goal for an organisation serving historically marginalised communities, is…
Downtown Walla Walla Farmers Market In 2013, Walla Walla’s farmers market was split into two different markets. The two markets overlapped on Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM, and while the Downtown Farmers’ Market had 26 produce vendors, the Valley Farmers Market had only 1-2 produce…
Evaluating and conveying the impacts of farm-to-hunger relief programs is important not just for reporting requirements but garnering support to further build the program’s impact.