For 2024 Civil Rights Training please view the video below

Civil Rights Training

All Second Harvest Heartland Partner Agencies must meet these annual training requirements. TEFAP programs please see further information below.

1. Have at least one volunteer or staff member from your organization watch the Civil Rights Video annually and complete the Training Verification Form. This training should be completed each year by someone in a leadership role who can provide ongoing training and coaching to staff and/or volunteers.

   • SHH will verify this training each year by reaching out to partners and requesting confirmation. Watch for this via email early in the new year.

   • Programs that partner with The Food Group and Second Harvest Heartland only need to complete this training once for both food banks.

2. Civil Rights Training is also required each year for ALL volunteers and staff who interact with clients. This is in addition to #1 above. Please plan to share training with frontline volunteers/staff (i.e. anyone who works with clients). The following methods can be used to train staff/volunteers:

   • Read and discuss the Civil Rights Checklist and Sign-in Sheet as part of an annual volunteer training. Have each volunteer sign the sheet to document that they have completed the training. This is the minimum requirement.

   • Watch and discuss the Civil Rights Video. Document completion of training by printing off the Civil Rights Training Checklist and Sign-in Sheet and have staff/volunteers sign. This is preferred for those that have the most contact with clients.

   • A combination of the two methods above based on roles and level of interaction with clients.

   • Programs have flexibility on the deadline for volunteer/staff training as long as it’s done each year. New staff/volunteers should be provided with this training as part of their onboarding process.

3. Civil Rights Training must be completed on a yearly basis and your program is responsible for keeping documentation of completion in your files. TEFAP sites must keep this documentation on file for 7 years. All other program sites must have one year of documentation available for review during the biannual site visit from Second Harvest Heartland.

4. If you have any questions, please contact Agency Relations at orders@2harvest.org or 651-209-7990/833-856-0149

Note for TEFAP Agencies

Civil Rights Training for TEFAP Agencies will be verified and documented annually by SHH with the TEFAP Checklist, which is a new requirement as of 2022.

All TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) distribution sites must meet the following requirements based on the Minnesota TEFAP Site Distributions Agreement:

• The distribution site shall abide by all the USDA Civil Rights Regulations and the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The distribution site is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or any of the other protected classes

• The distribution site agrees to provide annual Civil Rights Training for staff and front-line volunteers who interact with program applicants and participants or determine eligibility. Documentation of Civil Rights training accompanied by sign-in sheets for staff and volunteers who attended must be maintained by the distribution site.

All Second Harvest Heartland Partner Agencies must meet the following requirements based on the Agency Partnership Agreement:

• Will not discriminate in providing food, product or services to clients on the basis of language limitations, disability, race, color, nation origin, religion, sex, age, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, receiving public assistance, and being a member of a local human rights commission.

• Each Partner Program must have at least one staff or volunteer attend Civil Rights Training and be responsible for training all front-line volunteers/staff on an annual basis.