1. Do I pick up my order by appointment or walk in?
All orders are processed by walk in and first come first serve from 7 am to 11:30 am, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. All agencies have the opportunity to shop for pick and weigh, produce and add-ons all three available days, but have only one designated day to pick up an order.

2. Can I add something from this week’s shopping list to last week’s order?
No, once an order has been established and submitted in the system for a given week, new items must be apart of a new order and normal ordering processes are followed

3. What are Add-On’s?
Add-On’s are items of limited quantity that are available at the time of distribution and are not on the online shopping list. You must fill out an add-on form before shopping in pick and weigh to receive these items.

4. Do I need my Member Agency ID card when picking up my order?
Yes, you must present your NTFB issued ID. If you have need for a replacement, please email agencyrelations@ntfb.org or contact Agency Relations Department.

5. Can I bring food and snacks to share with NTFB staff?
It is ok to do so if the items are not intended for one particular staff member and will be made available for all NTFB staff.  

6. Is it appropriate to tip NTFB staff for their help or support of our agencies?
Although we greatly appreciate your sentiments, it is not appropriate to tip individual staff members for their assistance and support. In fact, personally accepting a gift is against company policy and we ask that employees not be put in a position of having to choose whether or not to accept a personal gift. Tipping a NTFB staff member can jeopardize the recipient’s job and be grounds for loss of membership with the North Texas Food Bank. If you would like to give a donation or contribute in some general way to the Food Bank, please contact the marketing department, and they will inform you of any needs and ways in which to donate.

7. Is it appropriate to give gift cards to NTFB staff to show appreciation?
NTFB staff is not allowed to accept personal gifts or gift cards from member agencies or their staff. If an agency wishes to give a personal gift or gift cards, the donation will be immediately given to the Human Resources Director to make the gifts available to all staff through a raffle drawing.

8. Do I need to keep my invoices?
Yes, it is a requirement to keep all NTFB invoices with two signatures for three years and ninety days.

 

 

2. What if my order does not include everything that is on my order confirmation?
The driver will make the necessary corrections to both your invoice and the NTFB copy, and then your agency should fax a copy to the attention of Ken Townsend, the Inventory/Online Manager (214.989.6156). You will not be billed for any item that you do not receive as long as we receive a corrected invoice with the driver’s initials within two business days.

3. How should the free items be divided between the member agencies?
In general the free items should be dispersed EVENLY between the member agencies. If a member agency needs more or less of the free items that should be discussed and agreed upon by the members, not solely decided upon by the Site Coordinator. If any questions of fairness arise, contact Isaac Burren, the Agency Relations Manager at 214.695.1644.

4. What if many of the free produce items are bad?
It is our expectation that most, if not all of the produce sent on the delivery is salvageable, however, depending on when the product arrives to us and when we can get those items to you, that may not always be the case. We ask that you take this into consideration, but if you find unsalvageable produce is becoming a norm, please contact Isaac Burren, the Agency Relations Manager at 214.695.1644.

5. What is the process for being added to the Delivery program?
The availability of truck space usually dictates our ability to add an agency to the Delivery Site. If you are interested in becoming a Delivery Site, Contact Isaac Burren, the Agency Relations Manager, at 214.695.1644.

1. Do I have to complete Civil Rights Training every year?
Yes, you must have your staff and volunteers trained on civil rights standards, per USDA guidelines, at least once a year. A training manual is provided at no cost to all member agencies. If you are in need of a manual, please contact the Agency Relations Department at 214-330-1396.

2. How long does a Food Handler and Food Safety Manager certification last?
Food Handler Certification is good for two years; Food Safety Manager Certification is good for 5 years. The Food Handler Certification is a requirement for all pantries, and the Food Safety Manager Certification is a requirement for all on-site agencies (meaning they prepare and serve food at the agency). All agencies must have one of these two certifications.

3. When do I need a health inspection from the city?
When ever you are cooking food for the public, your kitchen must be inspected by the city or county. This includes daycares, senior centers, soup kitchens, shelters and any other program that prepares and serves hot meals. Please contact Isaac Burren at 214-695-1644 if you need further clarification.

4. What do I do if our location changes?
Inform a member of the Agency Relations Department immediately for a site evaluation and approval, and request an address change from the IRS so they can update your 501c3.  We will need a copy of their confirmation for our records.

5. Can I give food to anyone who looks like they need it?
Food provided by the Food Bank can only be given to clients that meet financial eligibility; those levels are provided by the state, to us and our member network. In case of one time emergencies, you may provide food to anyone who states they have a need. Upon a return visit by this person, you will need to verify their household income.

6. Can we fundraise by using food provided by NTFB?
Food provided by the Food Bank may never be given in return for currency, merchandise, volunteer efforts or any other in-kind payment system. Any of the above mentioned activities may be grounds for loss of membership with the NTFB.

7. How many times must I update the temperature logs?
Temperature logs must be updated a minimum of twice per week for onsite feeders, once a week for food pantries and must be taken on all freezers and refrigerators. Please contact the Agency Relations Department if  you need additional or replacement thermometers at 214-330-1396.

8. Can we pray or have clients attend a religious service before giving out food? 
There can be no actions of a religious nature done in conjunction with food distribution. Signs and literature can be present and made available at the site, as well as invitations to participate in activities after food is provided to clients, provided it is made absolutely clear that participation is not mandatory.

9. What if we want to change our distribution times?
Inform the food bank immediately. Remember, you must be open to the public a minimum of 3 hours per week, as stated in your Member Agency Agreement.

10. What do I do if I want to begin an additional feeding program?
Inform the food bank of your desire to add a program, and we will inform you of the process of changing your member status. DO NOT use food bank product in a program that has not been properly approved by the food bank.

1. When is my monthly report due? What if I fail to turn in my report?
Reports are due by the 5th of each month, for the previous month. If you fail to turn submit your reports your account can be placed on hold and you will not be able to receive your order or pick n weigh.

2. Why is it so important to turn in my monthly report?
NTFB uses these numbers to report to Texas Department of Human Services to determine future allocations of USDA commodities and to provide service numbers to America’s Second Harvest to use as hunger facts when procuring food products and lobbying for more funds allocated through Congress.

3. How do I know that I have correctly issued my monthly report?
Once you have submitted the report you should receive an email confirmation to the email address you have entered.

4. Should I keep a hard copy of my monthly reports and for how long?
You should keep an electronic copy or a hard copy for at least 1 year.

5. What should I do if I am having technical issues with my computer, and cannot transmit my monthly report?
Contact the agency relations department via email or by phone letting them know of the issues. Since the website is accessible you can enter your reports from anywhere. (ex: Library, home or someone else’s computer.)

6. What questions should I put on my application to make the monthly reporting process easier?
Pantry programs can include names and age breakdown of each family member on your intake form that is signed by each person requesting help. Onsite Feeding programs can gather their numbers based on your sign in sheet or your intake forms.

7. What do I do if I forget my password?
Contact agency relations department to retrieve your login. agencyrelations@ntfb.org

8. What if I don’t get my monthly report submitted by the 5th of the month?
Your agency could get placed on hold until that report is received and entered. That means you will not be able to pick up your order, pick and weigh or add-ons.

 

1. How should you handle nutrition requests from special needs clients?
Many of your clients may be facing health problems such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Hypertension, and Obesity.  In other cases you may be dealing with food allergies, cultural preferences and cooking limitations.  All of these factors may affect the appropriateness of the foods your pantry or feeding program provides. 

The first step is to know your population.  Do your best to know what issues your clients are facing and concerned with.  It doesn’t have to be a matter of catering to everyone individually, but simply getting a collective idea of what your clients’ needs are.

Overall, you want to try to offer the best variety of nutritious foods available. It doesn’t matter whether someone has diabetes, high cholesterol or obesity. The same practical nutrition guidelines may be applied in these situations. If you are doing your best to provide staple items that are low in fat, sodium and sugar and those that are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, then you are meeting the needs of all your clients and contributing to their better health. 

Unhealthy foods are inevitably available, but we can try to limit the frequency and amount offered to clients. All foods can be part of a healthy diet in moderation. It’s important to balance out your grocery and menu items with more nutritious options whenever possible.  

2. How do you build a healthy package of groceries for a family?
A nutritious grocery package should include components from different food groups, including grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy. 

Refer to the samples of food pantry guidelines in the handbook. These guidelines are personalized based on the MyPyramid recommendations on gender, age and activity level. Calorie levels are listed for each individual and converted to family packages. This takes the guesswork out of knowing whether you are giving too little or too much food and ensures that your clients are getting the nutritious food they need to nourish their families.

Once you know what items to stock your pantry with, it’s easier to make the appropriate decisions when ordering online from the NTFB or purchasing additional groceries from another source.

3. If you are an on-site feeding program, what components should be included to create a well-balanced meal?
Use MyPyramid (www.mypyramid.gov) to plan your on-site meals.  Ideally, each meal should include a grain, protein like meat or beans, two kinds of fruits and/or vegetables and milk. You might decide to serve all the items separately, or combine some of them in a casserole.  For example, you could serve a chicken drumstick with some rice, broccoli, carrots and a glass of milk or you could serve spaghetti with meat sauce along with salad and a glass of milk.  In the first meal, all the components are served separately.  In the second meal, there are three components in the spaghetti (pasta, tomato sauce, and ground meat) and the other components are served on the side. 

 Meal planning can be a fun and creative activity.  If you run out of ideas, try searching recipe sites like www.allrecipes.com for inspiration.  A lot of sites let you search by ingredient.  So, let’s say you have some ground beef and potatoes. If you choose to search by ingredient, you would enter those ingredients and the site would pull up all the recipes it can find with those ingredients. 

 Also, consider consulting with James Williams, Community Kitchen Chef or Kaitlin Hammond, Child Programs Manager for new ideas.  And don’t forget to use the Nutrition Education Department for ideas to improve the nutritional quality of your meals without increasing the cost too much!

          A. Keep Cold Foods Cold and Hot Foods Hot

              Frozen and refrigerated product should be maintained in cold temperatures during transport if possible.
              It should also be delivered and stored as quickly as possible.  Food that is exposed to the temperature
              danger zone between 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 4 hours may become unsafe to eat. Be
              sure to monitor your coolers and freezers for maintaining the proper and safe temperatures too. 

             Occasionally meats may be frozen prior to their expiration date. You may distribute this to clients if that
             product is distributed frozen within 6 months and clients are told to prepare the entire product
             immediately after thawing. Previously frozen foods should never be thawed and then re-frozen. 

         
         B. Check the Date and Inspect the Product    

            The Food Bank’s policy is to discard foods that are bottled or jarred past the product date or if liquids
            appear cloudy or discolored. Some foods may last longer past the “sell by” or “best when used by” date.
            The quality and freshness may be compromised, but they are still considered safe to eat.  Always inspect
            your product upon receiving.

         C. When in Doubt, Throw it Out!         

            The Food Bank’s policy is to discard bulging, rusted or severely dented cans with metal touching metal,
            opened or leaking packages and broken seals.  If you notice items with these flaws when you unpack
            them at your facility, do not distribute them or cook with them.  

            Do not distribute out of date perishable products, such as packaged fresh produce, fresh meats and dairy
            products to your clients.  Products requiring refrigeration should not be distributed to clients past the
            expiration, use, sell or pull by dates due to the possible growth of pathogens that can cause food-borne
            illness.  Be sure to use the FIFO method of stocking and distributing your inventory.

           On-site feeding programs should always make sure that food is cooked or re-heated and held at the
           proper temperatures before serving.

           Please note that if you have any concerns about the product’s integrity or food safety, practice caution.
           Remember: When in Doubt, Throw it out! 

 5) Why is it important to partner with the NTFB to provide nutrition education for your clients?

Eliminating hunger takes more than just providing a quick fix meal. Eliminating hunger requires both short and long term solutions including food AND education.  We support the philosophy that you can “give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach him how to fish and he can eat for a lifetime.” Providing nutrition education to low-income clients makes a tremendous difference in the quality of their lives. They learn the life skills needed to cook, shop and make better food choices so they can feed their families nutritious meals while on a budget.  The NTFB is making an effort to provide quality, nutritious food to those you serve. We also provide ongoing nutrition education classes, workshops and materials upon request.  Ask us about Operation Frontline.

 

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