Mini Pantries and Covid-19

On March 23, P Rudder asked, “How are you changing things, if any, during this?”

We told her we’d consulted a professor of epidemiology who said because SARS-CoV-2 can live on surfaces for days, mini pantry use carries some risk. That to mitigate risk we’d removed the Pilot’s door.

A week later, a doctor of epidemiology on the Pilot host church’s grounds crew advised we replace the door. “UV kills the virus. Birds and weather pose a greater threat,” he said. Deferring to our host, we put it back.

With expert guidance at all levels changing by the day if not the hour, all of us are adapting on the fly, doing the best we can.

If you are at increased risk for severe illness, your best is staying away from your neighborhood mini pantry. If you are under shelter-in-place orders, you might rationalize our work as essential. Or you might not. You might disinfect your neighborhood mini pantry before you use it. Or once, twice…three times a day. You might post reminders about hand-washing on the door (or walls if you removed the door). Your best might be shutting it all down until the threat passes.

We don’t know what your best is. We do know you if you are listening to scientists and following orders while taking care of yourself and others, you are doing it.

How to Host A Food Drive

Minis always need food. Some host food drives in answer, but according to Feeding America, “A hastily-organized local food drive can actually put more strain on your local food bank than you imagine.”

There are lots of guides and how-tos circulating, but ELCA World Hunger’s “Road Map to Food Drives” is a favorite. Geared for church youth groups, its easy-to-follow procedure and suggested activities will get you excited about hosting a food drive in your home worshiping community. See it here!

For the Road Map condensed, read on!

Formation of “teams” streamlines the process and divides the workload. Could be teams of one or several, but you may want to choose a point person.

1. Organization Contact: You’ll connect with folks inside the hosting organization, first making sure the organization is on board, then discussing ways to get the whole organization involved. (May need to attend a meeting.) When speaking with potential food drive hosts, ask about dates; when might a food drive be most successful and avoid conflict with other events? Ask if there is space to store food collected and who to contact to get an announcement out to the wider organization.

2. Community Contact: You’ll reach out to local food pantries about what would most help. Look for places nearby, then email or call. Ask questions like these. Which foods or items are most needed? Are there any unneeded/unacceptable items? How should your group sort donations? When/where should you drop off? Do they have suggestions for making the food drive a success? Who should you contact with further questions, and do they have questions for you?

3. Promoter: Your team has two jobs. The first is to brand the food drive (Holiday Theme? Trick-or-Treat/Turkey Trot—where flyers are pre-delivered and food is collected at predetermined time? Added bonus: these can raise your organization’s profile. Maybe a friendly competition with a poster board of current totals, leader annoucements, and a prize!) Your second job is to make sure lots of folks know about the food drive. See if you can hang posters onsite, at local stores, and on coffee shop bulletin boards. Make posters with dates, times, and local hunger statistics. (Be sure to take posters down afterward!) Then, routinely communicate wherever your network is listening until the food drive is over. When the drive is over, communicate its success with the organization, with media, etc.!

4. Coordinator: You’ll handle donations from placement of boxes and bins to sorting (Keep plastic bags for transporting!) and throwing away expired food (If you aren’t sure, throw it out!). Count items donated and take pictures for the Promoters to share in post-drive communications. Finally, you’ll deliver!

Now that you know who, here’s HOW!

One Month Before: Introduce idea and choose roles. Organization and Community Contacts should have first conversations.

Three Weeks Before: Organization/Community Contacts report.

Two Weeks Before: Promoters develop promotional materials and start publicizing the drive.

One Week Before: Promoters, keep talking! Coordinating Team should find a place to store food and arrange transportation.

During the Food Drive: Promoters, you’re still talking! Coordinating Team may begin sorting.

After the Food Drive: Coordinating Team sorts and delivers. Promoting Team develops and shares communications celebrating the successful food drive. All teams participate in a wrap-up, answering questions like, “What went really well? What things could be improved,” and “What are our next steps?" How can we address food insecurity in our community in another way?”

And there you have it! The bones of hosting a food drive! To put some meat on them, go here!

How to Map Your Mini Pantry!

Do you host a mini? Have you seen the map and wondered, “How do I put my mini on it?” This step-by-step guide is for you!

• The quickest route is to start from here. You can find the map from the Little Free Pantry home page, too; click “MAP.”

• Now, click the “ADD PANTRY” button seen here.

1. In fields, “Pantry Name,” “Your Name,” and “Email Address.” Please note that the “Your Name” and “Email Address” boxes are checked, which means they will be public. Should you wish to make either private, uncheck the appropriate box/es.

2. “Address of Pantry Location” is the next, larger field. For accurate map pin placement, please enter the address as you would address an envelope. Lots of cities share names and street names. Usually, the map is smart, but every once in a while, a pin goes rogue!

3. Next, you MUST indicate Type of Box, “Little Free Pantry, “Blessing Box,” or “Other.” If you don’t, after clicking submit, you’ll see the angry red letters! (I admit to not remembering why I thought this information was critical.)

4. “Receive Suggestions” is checked. If you leave it checked, a button that reads “Email Steward” will appear at the end of your map project page. Probably goes without saying that folks may email you by clicking it. Don’t want the button? Simply uncheck the “Receive Suggestions” box.

5. You may add two photos. Consider uploading photos from angles that communicate location; an image of your project from the street is helpful.

6. The map likes smaller images. Before approving submissions, I check orientation, download and resize if necessary. Re-size and I’ll love you forever.

7. Tell folks about your project in the “Description” field. Anything you want folks to know—more about the location, about the stewards, why. Anything. In addition to nonperishables and paper goods, each mini contains a story about its community. Tell us.

8. The Shipping Address…I’ve no anecdotal evidence that a steward’s received a shipment because that steward included a shipping address with their map submission, but I included it as an option in case. If you’re the “lots of lines in the water type,” please indicate your shipping address exactly as you’d address an envelope and know that the information will be public.

9. Anything you want me to know? Put it in the “Notes to the Curator” field!

10. Click “Submit.”

11. If all’s well that ends well, a screen will pop up that looks like this.

Your submission will not immediately appear on the map, as all submissions are reviewed and approved (are images right side up and appropriate, are pins accurate, etc.). Typically, your project will be represented on the movement map within a week!

Thank everyone of you who’ve taken the time to go through this process. (That blue swath IS satisfying.) More important, folks in need use the map to connect with the resources you provide. Thank you, thank you for being there.