Resources
click on the underlined links for more information...
Training & Education
No agency should be without our Partner Agency Handbook. The Handbook is a handy on-site resource that includes information about Second Harvest Heartland's services, partner agency responsibilities, how to access our resources, food safety, food dating and damaged product information. Hard copies can be ordered for $8.00.
If you need to make changes to your contract (authorized order or pick up people, contacts, etc.) please complete the Contract Change Request Form.
Food Safety
"Using HACCP To Prepare Foods Safely" is a 4 hour required course for many of our partner agencies and has also been approved as a recertification course for Minnesota Certified Food Managers. If your agency provides meals or snacks on-site using potentially hazardous foods, you are required to attend this course. The course is free. Click here for 2010 Class Schedule & Registration.
Food Manager Certification is an 8 hour optional course that delves more deeply into HACCP and food safety. Some agencies are required by their local health department to have a Certified Food Manager within their program. Second Harvest Heartland no longer offers this course in-house but recommends "1908: Managing Food Hazards in Retail Food Operations" through Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management in St. Paul. For a listing of other course locations, including online course options, click here.
Dates
The code dates on packages are for supermarket use, to indicate how long the package should be displayed on the shelves; these dates have very little to do with the safety of the food for consumption. For example, cereal may lose some of its crunch after the code date, but it does not become unsafe to eat. The Food Marketing Institue and Cornell University put together the Food Keeper Brochure, which provides guidelines for product life. The USDA Fact Sheet also provides important information about product dating. Use these resources to best determine how long it is safe to give food out to your clients, and when in doubt, throw it out.
Orientation
Agency Orientation trains new applicants and existing partner agencies on the requirements of our partnership and addresses common barriers agencies face in maximizing our resources, namely food dating and package damage. Orientation includes interactive exercises on reporting monthly statistics, ordering, assessing dented cans, and accessing our online resources and services. Agency orientation is free, lasts approximately 4 hours, and is required of all new applicants and new primary contacts at existing partner agencies. Orientation is a valuable refresher for any partner agency. Please contact your account specialist for more information or to register for a session.
Watch our Assessing Package Damage Video »
Monitoring Visits
Monitoring visits (also called site visits) are required by America's Second Harvest. Second Harvest Heartland staff will conduct these visits which may be scheduled or unannounced during agency's stated hours of operation/availability (when possible).
Bridge to Benefits
Many of you may be aware of, or have used, http://www.coveringallfamilies.org/, also known as Bridge to Benefits. It is a simple screening tool to help individuals and families connect with other programs and resources. The user is asked for estimated gross income by the month or year, what county they live in and how many people are part of their household. At the end, the website lists the programs an individual or family might be eligible for. It also gives detailed information on how and where to apply.
If you have access to the internet at the time you are assisting clients, this is something you can do for them. They do not have to share any personal identifiers such as name or address. At the end you can print specific information that they can use to potentially access other resources.
Prescription Drug Discount Cards
Here's another great resource for the people your agency serves or even yourself, friends, and/or family members. United Way is partnering with FamilyWize to offer a free prescription drug discount card. The card saves an average of 35 percent on the cost of prescription drugs for people with no insurance and for medicine not covered by an insurance plan or Medicare. There are no enrollment or eligibility requirements involved with the program. Simply print and use the discount card at any participating pharmacy. For more information on how the program works, click here. To download and print the discount card, click here. For a list of participating pharmacies, click here.
Nonprofit Management
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits offers various nonprofit management training opportunities as well as a step-by-step seminar entitled "Starting a Nonprofit in Minnesota" for agencies wishing to become 501(c)(3). Costs and times vary.
Accountability Wizard
With so many nonprofits to donate to, it is difficult for an individual, corporation, etc. to determine where it is best to do their charitable giving. The "Accountability Wizard" is a tool offered by the Charities Review Council at a very nominal fee and is a valuable resource in providing the information needed to make informed charitable giving choices. Many Second Harvest Heartland partners are already enrolled with the Wizard. The time to enroll is NOW, but if your agency completes enrollment by the October 1st deadline, your agency will be listed in the winter printed Giving Guide and featured in the holiday advertising campaign that includes Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota newspapers, reaching hundreds of thousands of people statewide. Go to www.smartgivers.org and click on the Accountability Wizard icon to get started!
Nonprofit Yellow Pages is a free online resource through the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits that provides a one-stop search for almost any type of consultant, business, or vendor that specializes in working with nonprofits. You will find information on fundraising, accounting, insurance, martketing, development, training & professional development, technology & web design and more!
Venison Donations
Updated information regarding Minnesota's Venison Donation Program including guidelines for charitable organizations, requirements for meat processors, and approved processor information can be found on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Click here to view MDA's venison donation page.
For Wisconsin agencies, information regarding Wisconsin state's deer donation program can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website. Click here to view WDNA's deer donation page.
Cooking and Handling Venison (pdf)
Health Considerations for Lead and Venison (pdf)
Health Considerations for Lead and Venison - Spanish (pdf)
Health Considerations for Lead and Venison - Hmong (pdf)
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has published a report on their investigation on the lead contamination of hunter-harvested venison. Click here to view report.
Technology
TechSoup Stock connects nonprofits with donated and discounted technology products. Choose from over 240 products from 25 providers including Cisco and Microsoft. Visit www.techsoup.org for general information. Click here to connect to TechSoup's information about Microsoft Office Professional 2003, which includes Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, Publisher, PowerPoint, and InfoPath - all for only $20!
TEFAP - Requirements For All Eligible Agencies
TEFAP (USDA) commodities are available to eligible agencies in Minnesota (food shelves, brown bag programs, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and domestic abuse shelters) through an allocation system. All eligible agencies receiving TEFAP commodities must post an "And Justice For All" poster in an area visible by clients. The poster is available by contacting Agency Relations.
TEFAP - Additional Requirements for Minnesota food shelves & brown bag programs
In addition to the "And Justice for All" poster, USDA requires food shelves in Minnesota to comply with the following requirements in order to receive TEFAP commodities: provide clients with a grievance procedure/policy, keep an ADA Plan on file, collect TEFAP eligibility forms from clients (also available in Spanish, Hmong, Russian, and Somali), and provide written information about the Food Support Program to clients. Contact your local county for current Food Support information forms.
Minnesota Food Shelves Receiving State Funding
Food shelves receiving state funding in Minnesota are required to provide voter registration materials to clients (available for free through your county auditor).
Eligibility Documents
Applying for a 501(c)(3) - All partner agencies must have 501(c)(3) status with the IRS and cannot be a private foundation or a municipality. The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits offers a step-by-step seminar entitled "Starting a Nonprofit in Minnesota" for agencies wishing to become 501(c)(3). It lasts 4 hours and costs around $65.
Income eligibility - at least 51% of clients served by our partner agencies must be low income or in crisis.
AmpleHarvest.org
America's Backyard Gardeners Sharing Their Harvest With Neighbors in Need
http://www.ampleharvest.org/
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