All of us at Food For Free greatly appreciate your willingness to jump in and help with food distributions. We want to put the health and safety of those volunteering, as well as the community members we are serving, first.  To do that there are some safety precautions that staff and volunteers will need to follow.  Please read our “Covid-19 Housing Site Distribution Logistics” below to familiarize yourself with the guidelines and protocol we will follow at these distribution sites. One point to keep in mind is that Food For Free has acquired thermometers and will be taking the temperature of all volunteers before they begin their shift.  This is just one more precaution to ensure the health of all involved.  The policies and procedures that we have in place are taken so that people can feel safe and happy to volunteer.

Thank you again for signing up to help make this effort a success, and coming together as a community for all of our residents!

Please note that this is a bit new for us at Food For Free as well, so please be patient with us as we smooth out any kinks.

Covid-19 Housing Site Distribution Logistics

Overall guidelines:

• There may not be more than 15 people total, including Site Leader, on the premises
• If a volunteer touches any part of their body or a non-packing item, they must resanitize their hands and put a new set of gloves on.
• Should volunteers touch their face, or cough/sneeze into their hands, they should re-sanitize and change gloves.
• Volunteers should not come in if they feel sick (cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, with or without fever)
• Volunteers take their temperature before they begin the volunteer process. If their temperature is above 98.6 degrees, they will be asked to leave.
• Site leader will communicate the below sanitization/packing protocol
• Site leader will manage master list of apartment complex and checking off the list of apartment numbers receiving delivery

Packing Volunteer Protocol (5-6 at a time max):

• All volunteers sanitize their hands and put gloves on
• Volunteers take a plastic bag and begin to fill it item by item directly off of the pallets.
• Each apartment gets two bags: one with perishable produce, and the other with nonperishable food items
• Volunteers then place packed bags in specified location to signal that they are ready for distribution
• If volunteer touches any part of body, phone, or other material other than the food to be packed, then they must re-sanitize hands and change their gloves before continuing to pack bags

Distribution Volunteer Protocol (4-5 at a time max):

• Volunteers sanitize hands and put gloves on.
• Site leader assigns volunteer group specific apartment numbers they will deliver bags to
• Each volunteer takes 4 complete bags at a time and walks towards the distribution building. One facilitator volunteer, carrying no bags, opens the housing complex doors and holds them for those entering with bags.
• The facilitator volunteer also accompanies the volunteers inside the building to hit the elevator buttons or open other doors for the distribution volunteers, allowing them to access the specified distribution floor.
• Volunteers proceed to the apartment doors on the specified floor. They place the 2 bags at the assigned apartment door.
• The facilitator volunteer knocks on the door. All volunteers maintain 3-6 foot distance from the door when interacting with residents.
• Volunteers then proceed down to the packing site.
• When they return to packing site, they confirm delivery of assigned buildings with Site Leader
• All volunteers sanitize hands and put fresh set of gloves on