Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Meeting Notes: PCS Gleaner Leadership and Driver Meeting

Meeting Notes: PCS Gleaner Leadership and Driver Meeting


ServeSafe ExamWe would really like for as many of our members to be ServeSafe certified. If you have your food handlers card, we would love a copy of that for our records. Log the amount of volunteer hours for training and test taking.

1. Click here for link to open the Food Safety Video -Follow the instructions below with putting in the Oregon Food Bank and the video key and watch the video. 

2.  You will now print out the test (I you need help printing, ask a lead at PCS: Print this test out

3. Put your name at the top and turn it in to a lead at PCS. 

Civil Right Video (approximately 22 minutes) : Every member of the Gleaners needs to complete this once per year. If you are new in the past two months, please complete this and sign up for 30 minutes of volunteer time while completing it. 

1. Watch the Civil Rights Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv1caqODzzA&t=6s  


2. Once you have watched the video, CLICK HERE TO SIGN that you watched the video 


OPEN LETTER TO VOLUNTEERS WHO PICK UP DONATIONS:


Your role as a market pickup volunteer is extremely important to your gleaning group and to the Linn Benton Gleaning Program. Whether your group has a membership of 75 people or 1,000 people, you are helping to supplement the food budget of over 3,500 individuals!

People who donate to our program want to make sure that the food that they donate reach individuals who need it. They care about their community and their neighbors and they are active participants in the war against hunger. These businesses have decided that they want to participate in donating product to Linn Benton Food Share's Gleaning Program.

In many cases, it would be easier for our donors to dispose of the left over food items using other methods besides donating to our program. Not only do they donate the food, they are also donating the time that it takes to prepare the donation for you to pick up.

Of course, we are not the main focus of these businesses, employees: suppliers, customers, timelines, scheduling conflicts and a myriad of other concerns relating to THEIR BUSINESS should and does take precedence over what and how they donate to us. It is important that everyone in our program realizes that the businesses do not have supply us with food. We are benefiting from the business because they CHOOSE to donate to us.

We appreciate your diligence in maintaining a positive relationship with our donors.

Please feel free to contact me at sjames@communityservices.us with any questions or concerns. 

LINN BENTON FOOD SHARE GLEANING PROGRAM\


Procedures for picking up food donations

1. Vehicle Liability Insurance is required to pick up at all stores, LBFS warehouse, and all gleans. May be asked to show current liability insurance certificate

2. Lead person in each vehicle must have either an Oregon Food Handlers card or a Servsafe certificate on file

3. Drivers and helpers must be trained and vetted by Board/Coordinator before going on store runs.

4. Vehicles must be clean and in good running condition

5. Pick up donations at time requested by donor

6. If you cannot pick up a store run on your scheduled day, let your Coordinator/Board/ LBFS know immediately.

7. Never pick up food donations while under influence of drugs or alcohol

8. Dress appropriately, good hygiene -remember you are representing your group,

the program and Linn Benton Food Share

9. Wear badge stating name, group, and LBFS if requested by donor, agencies, or LBFS

10. Refrain from using vulgar language

11. Pick up the entire donation or call coordinator/ LBFS immediately to make further arrangements.

12. Do not take items not donated.

13. Sign in as requested before picking up donation

14. Go directly to where donation is kept

15. Never ask for additional items

16. Not complain about food donation

17. Do not go through donation while in store

18. Never bring additional people into store to "help" unless approved by Coordinator/Board

19. Do not combine gleaner pickup with personal shopping

20. Check with receiving clerk that you have correct product

21. Sign for donation

22. Do not loiter in store

23. Be responsible for assuring all donated food is picked up Updated 3/25/2025

24. Do not eat or drink while picking up food

25. Do not smoke in vehicle while picking up food

26. Do not have animals in vehicle while transporting food

27. Do not smoke on donors property

28. Do not engage in arguments with other gleaning group members on donor's site

29. Obey all laws

30. Conduct self in professional manner at all times

31. Transport food donations in safe and healthy manner

32. Take food directly to food distribution site

33. Al donations must be weighed or counted and recorded immediately

34. Must record temperature of all cooler and frozen food both at pick up site anddistribution site

Not following procedures may result in immediate removal from all Linn Benton Food Share store pickups

ORIENTATION

Many groups hold orientations for new members. This is the perfect time to talk about your mission, rules, and expectations. Orientation reinforces the gleaning group concept, "we are a self-help organization, not a food pantry. If you do not want to participate, please visit the food pantry in your area. Be advised that members are required to participate in gleans". Training only two or three people to be responsible for conducting the orientation will help to ensure that everyone is receiving correct information. Do not allow people who are not trained to sign up new members. Here are suggestions to include in your orientation: Give a brief summary on the gleaning group and its relationship with Linn Benton Food Share.Stress the importance of your mission and vision. This is the time to explain the difference between going to a food pantry and joining a gleaning group. Explain your policies regarding food pick up, household size, and volunteer requirements. Inform prospective members that everyone is a volunteer -no paid staff. Let prospective members know what they can expect from the group's leaders and what the expectation are for them. Allow plenty of time for questions.

PRODUCT DONATION PROCESS