Maintaining COVID-19 Safety Practices: Guidance for Food Pantries

Food pantries face increased demand that is likely to continue into the foreseeable future. At the same time, they need to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers, and the clients they serve. To do this, they may have to change their distribution practices to maintain social distancing, while also addressing changes in who is volunteering, who needs their services, how and what is being donated, and where they source food.

The following suggestions about how to maintain services while keeping volunteers and clients safe are based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), current protocols that are working well at many pantries around the country, and the current scientific understanding of COVID-19 prevention.

NOTE: This guidance may change over time, and should be adapted to best meet the mission, needs, and circumstances of a specific pantry.

Staff, Volunteer, and Client Safety

Ensuring the safety of those who provide and receive services is a priority.

1. Consider posting signs explaining the safety measures in place at your pantry.
2. Face coverings are recommended by the CDC to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and are required for entry into stores and businesses in many states, including New Jersey.
3. If clients must enter the food pantry for services, provide them with hand sanitizer and/or the ability to wash their hands if facilities can be made available. Follow CDC recommendations.
4. Staff or volunteers who feel ill or suspect they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should stay at home.

Food Distribution

Consider methods that shorten client service times and that limit unnecessary face-to-face interactions.

1. Pre-bag or pre-box items, making them faster and easier to distribute.
2. If possible, establish a drive-through pantry or curbside pickup.
   • Volunteers can place bags in the trunk of clients’ cars when possible.
   • However, alternative plans for clients without access to a vehicle must be clearly articulated. It is not sufficient to only serve clients with access to vehicles.
3. If drive-through or curbside pick-up are not possible:
   • Consider setting up tables outside rather than having clients come inside the building, possibly using pop-up tents to provide rain shelter or shade.
   • Limit the total number of clients who can enter the pantry at one time to allow for appropriate social distancing in your space.
     • If possible, permit only one person per household to enter the pantry.
     • Schedule in-person appointments if possible.
4. In some cases, delivery may be the safest alternative for both pantries and clients.
   • Public transportation may be running less frequently.
   • This is especially important for vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens.
5. Perishable food items should be discarded if they are kept at room temperature for more than two hours.

Sourcing Food

Many traditional food sourcing methods/supply chains have been disrupted. Alternatives to consider include:

1. Creating direct connections with farmers when possible.
   • There may be gleaning opportunities. Organizations such as Farmers Against Hunger can help with this.
2. Connecting with restaurants that may be interested in providing prepared meals or bulk items for your clients. This can require extra coordination but may be a good opportunity to get additional food to clients.
   • When working with a restaurant, be sure to appropriately manage perishable foods, such that the foods are kept at room temperature for no more than two hours.
3. Letting donors know if you prefer monetary donations or food donations.

Maintaining Food Safety

Food safety is especially important at this time.

1. Before accepting food donations, consider available safe storage space, need for refrigeration, and the potential shelf-life of perishable products.
2. While some people feel it is important to wipe down food packaging, the current evidence does not indicate that this is helpful; CDC and WHO do not currently recommend this practice.
3. If distributing fresh produce, encourage clients to wash it under running water before consuming it.
4. If distributing prepared foods, pay particular attention to maintaining safe temperatures. Cold foods should be stored at or below 40°F and hot foods should be kept at temperatures at or above 140°F. Discard perishable foods that have been at room temperature for more than two hours.
5. Volunteers should wear masks, wash their hands before and after handling food, and if they are available, wear and frequently change disposable gloves.

Signature Waivers and Other Flexibilities

Pantries may need to change their record-keeping practices in order to maintain social distancing. USDA has addressed this issue and made other modifications.

1. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) has waived signature requirements for both new and existing clients. Signatures are not required at this time.
2. The time limits for SNAP eligibility for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) have been temporarily lifted, so clients who have timed out of SNAP may reapply.
3. The amount of individuals’ SNAP benefits may change during this period. For example, SNAP benefits in NJ are increasing during May, 2020.
4. In some states, but not NJ, SNAP benefits can be used for food delivery. (See FNS Launches the Online Purchasing Pilot.)
5. USDA has provided a list of waivers and flexibilities for other federal nutrition programs in NJ. (See New Jersey: COVID-19 Waivers & Flexibilities.)

Providing Education and Cooking Demonstrations

If you have a website or social media presence, you can link to nutrition education and food safety videos and webpages for clients with access to the internet. Some sources include:

1. USDA SNAP-Ed Connection
2. New Brunswick Community Farmers Market informational videos
3. COVID-19 Food Safety Resources from NC State Extension

Serving New Clients

With increasing rates of unemployment, many pantries are serving first-time clients who may have never used the services of a food pantry and may need additional guidance.

1. Ensure that information on your website is kept up-to-date.
2. Consider training special volunteers to help welcome and familiarize first-time clients with the services offered and with any formal or informal rules or guidelines in place.
3. Consider printing signs and handouts that explain how to obtain and use the services at your individual pantry.

Providing Clients with Additional Resources

Pantry clients, especially those who are newly unemployed, often need additional services with which they may be unfamiliar.

1. Help clients understand the changing benefits landscape when possible. While you may be used to handling questions about SNAP and WIC, the types of questions may expand to topics such as unemployment insurance and stimulus checks.
2. Set up a hotline if you have staff who can provide help with social services.

If You Cannot Open Your Pantry

Some pantries face limitations related to available space, volunteers, and quantities of available food and may not be able to provide services. If it is not possible to serve clients, please:

1. Try to distribute the food you have to other pantries able to serve clients.
2. Notify your clients of nearby pantries and any additional resources, if possible.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Donald Schaffner, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, for his input on the food safety advice provided here.

Thank you to the following individuals who provided invaluable insight into the current practice of food pantries, as well as comments on this document:

1. Jennifer Apostol, Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services (MCFOODS)
2. Pastor James Krombholz, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Pantry
3. Neuza Maria Serra, Rutgers-Camden Student Food Pantry
4. Kerri Willson, Rutgers-New Brunswick Student Food Pantry

Rutgers Against Hunger addresses food insecurity throughout New Jersey, bringing together the resources of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey to increase awareness of hunger, encourage education and service to tackle hunger, stimulate research to assist those in need, and provide immediate relief through food drives and other events to raise money and collect food for providers throughout the state.

April 2020