Dear Network Partners,
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service has approved a request from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to temporarily waive the TEFAP intake process for partners distributing groceries.
This provides us the very important flexibility we have been seeking for weeks on your behalf.
You will temporarily not be required to collect Eligibility to Take Home Groceries Forms (TEFAP forms), whether through paper or electronically. This protects your staff/volunteers and the people you serve from close person-to-person contact and the potential for community spread at feeding sites and food distributions.
You are only required to collect the number of households and number of household members you serve.
• This intake waiver applies through May 31, 2020.
• The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services requires a weekly estimate of the number of households and number of people served. Please complete this form weekly so the Foodbank can communicate service statistics for our area.
• If you typically operate a prepared meal program and choose to also distribute groceries during this time, you must collect the number of households and number of household members and report this to the Foodbank weekly using the link provided.
You should conduct outreach and distribution efforts in a manner to ensure that households that are suffering significant economic losses or significant food access challenges due to COVID-19 are served.
Reminder:
As COVID-19 escalates in our community, we do need to make sure you are communicating effectively with the Foodbank. If your organization cancels a pantry distribution, hot meal or other food assistance program; or if your church or non-profit organization closes temporarily due to COVID-19, please contact Katie Carver Reed at 330.777.7577 or kcarver@acrfb.org.
We ask our network partners to continue emphasizing to your staff and volunteers to maintain personal hygiene practices which should be in place every day at any food distribution facility:
Steps YOU can take
- If your staff or volunteers are ill or exhibiting symptoms, do not send them to pick-up your order at the Foodbank and do not allow them to help at your program
- Keep your hands clean by regularly washing them in hot water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds. This is especially important after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hand, or using the restroom.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home from work and/or your hunger-relief program if you have flu-like symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or fever.
- Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
- Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals to ensure a healthy immune system.
- Use sanitizer or sanitizing wipes to keep surfaces clean that multiple people will touch, like tables, counters, phones, pens, etc.
Thank you for the INCREDIBLE work you are doing. We hope this news brings you some relief during another difficult week ahead. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katie Carver Reed at kcarver@acrfb.org.