This is a guide to great best practices for inclusive food pantries.

No time to read? Here is a quick (very quick recap):

• Never assume: ask for pronouns!

• Be deliberate with your words

• Practice patience and kindness to overcome language barriers

• Offer translation of important information

• Eye contact and smile can go a long way

• Engage on a deeper level: Hire staff & Volunteers from bicultural backgrounds

• Establish Client Advisory boards

• Offer culturally and religious food preferences

Did you know with the School District of Manatee County that breakfast is FREE for all students?

Considerations for serving the unhoused and homeless:

• Offer ready-to-eat and easy-to-prepare food that does not require heating, cooking, refrigerating or cutting (such as sandwiches, cut fruit, single serving drinks, protein bars, etc.)

• Offer hygiene kits

• Find resources for ADA-accessible showers and laundry service that can be shared during distribution or meal service

• Build rapport by educating volunteers, staff and donors on the complexity of homelessness to think about assumptions and stereotypes (review the Building Belong Guide)

• Offer mobile pantries and hours that fit the clients

Red Cards / Tarjetas Rojas

All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The ILRC's red cards give examples of how people can exercise these rights. However, they do not provide individualized legal advice. Community members are encouraged to check in with a trusted legal service provider for questions about their situation.

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Todas las personas en los Estados Unidos, independientemente de su estatus migratorio, tienen ciertos derechos y protecciones bajo la Constitución de los Estados Unidos. Las tarjetas rojas del ILRC dan ejemplos de cómo las personas pueden ejercer estos derechos. Sin embargo, no dan consejo legal individualizado. Les avisamos a los miembros de la comunidad que consulten con un proveedor de servicios legales de confianza si tienen preguntas sobre su situación.
En español »

51% of our Manatee Residents over 65 years old are below the ALICE threshold. This means that they do not meet the basic household survival budget to cover housing, food, transportation, healthcare, technology and taxes. 

Important considerations for our senior and elders at food pantries:

• Offer delivery, mobile pantry services or transportation

• Easily accessible (remove physical barriers such as stairs, long walks, etc.)

• Offer a volunteer peer-shopper to help (choose items and load vehicle)

• Additional signage for the hard of hearing

• Offer ready-to-eat and easy-to-prepare food that does not require heating, cooking, refrigerating or cutting (such as sandwiches, cut fruit, single serving drinks, protein bars, etc.)

Resources:

To reach the Manatee County Elder Helpline, call (941) 742-5818

Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, home-delivered Meals, call (941) 747-4655

Manatee County, Aging Services call (941) 749-3030

24% of active-duty service members were food insecure in 2020 due to low pay, difficulty in partners of military members to find steady jobs, few military commissaries nearby, unexpected expenses and not eligible for some food assistance programs because they are considered to have too much income (Feeding America). 

Help veterans and their families by:

• Thanking them for their service

• Creating a veterans pantry which may be a special day(s) of the month only for veterans and their families, including any guardsmen, reservists, and military retirees

• Actively involve veterans and their families to volunteer, job opportunities or on an advisory committee

• Invite them to join the Veteran Coffee Social every Tuesday between 10-12pm

This series is intended for food pantries and other relief groups looking to enhance their operations:

• Learn how to implement client choice

• Better meet the need of clients

• Promote dignity

• Did you know? Some evidence suggests that goals are needed so that the food pantry clients take enough food. Given the option to shop freely, without goals, many will take less food than they need, often because they believe that other clients need the food more than they do.