Prior to the start of each academic year, Second Harvest Heartland will host a mandatory Food + You Orientation meeting for all school sites participating in the program. This event provides important programmatic information, record keeping updates, and reporting instruction in order to prepare for the year ahead. All schools participating in Food + You should be sure that the staff member acting as the Site Coordinator for the Food + You program attends this meeting.

The Site Coordinator can be a school social worker, teacher, family liaison, member of the administration or other school staff member.

The Food + You partnership agreement details the terms of the program including important dates, schools' responsibilities, and what responsibilities Second Harvest Heartland has as part of the program. It also includes important information about food storage and safety to ensure all food distributed to families is safe for consumption. No school will be able to place an order or receive a food delivery until the partnership agreement is completed and on file with Second Harvest Heartland. Please contact us for a partnership agreement:

Rebecca Mino
rmino@2harvest.org
651.282.0871

Some schools incorporate volunteers to assist with setting up and distributing food, collecting statistics, cleaning-up, and tracking inventory for the food distribution component of the program. Local churches, community organizations, and youth programs are all strong resources for soliciting volunteers. Additionally, inviting parents to volunteer at the food distribution is an innovative way to give them an opportunity to get more involved with the school community. The Second Harvest Heartland Volunteer Management guide can assist you with incorporating volunteers into your program.