A Successful and Adoptable Business Blueprint for Food Rescues This blueprint has been created for Lovin’ Spoonfuls in partnership with four students of Middlebury College in the 401 Environmental Studies Senior Seminar class during Fall 2017.

Isabella Alonzo, Katharine Fortin, Annie Leonard, and Kenan Yates (Class of ‘18) Table of Contents

Page # Introduction to Food Rescue 4 Federal and State Policies in Place 10 Lovin’ Spoonfuls 15 Introduction and Statistics 16 Donor and Beneficiary Partnership Growth 18 Route Information and Map of Partnerships 20 Interviews with Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ Partners 22 Donors (1) 23 Beneficiaries (2) 24 Sponsors (1) 26 Business Model Blueprint: The Stages of Starting a Food Rescue 27 What’s Next for Lovin’ Spoonfuls? 53 Sources & Helpful Links 54

3 Introduction to Food Rescue

What is food rescue? Why is it important and what effects does it have on society?

4 What Is Food Rescue?

70+ Donors 140+ Nonprofits Same Day Delivery 60,000+ lbs weekly 35,000+ clients weekly Refrigerated delivery vehicles grocery stores homeless shelters Professionally trained drivers produce wholesalers soup kitchens Mobile inventory tracking farms food pantries system farmers markets domestic violence agencies senior centers after school programs meal delivery programs

5 Food Rescue can…

I. Reduce Food Insecurity II. Reduce Food Waste III. Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change

6 The Need for Food Rescue: Reducing Food Insecurity

The USDA defines food insecurity as: “Household level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food…”

50 million+ Americans 1 in 5 children under are food insecure the age of five

7 The Need for Food Rescue: Reducing Food Waste

40% of food we farm, produce, and buy gets thrown out or 1,400 calories a day on a per capita basis. This amounts to about 40 billion meals. This could feed 36.5 million people three times a day for a year.

Every year...

67.58 billion pounds of This amounts to $165 Each person throws away food end up in landfills billion worth of food 236 pounds of food

Food waste and insecurity could be solved by improving the distribution networks for food that would otherwise be discarded.

Figures courtesy of Food Rescue US. 8 The Need for Food Rescue: Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change

Food sent to landfills is broken down anaerobically, with a major byproduct

being the greenhouse gas methane (CH4). In the short-run, methane is nearly 86 times more potent than CO2 at absorbing solar radiation.

By reducing the amount of food going to landfills, food rescues can reduce the amount of methane produced and emitted into the atmosphere and reduce the impact of global warming.

Image courtesy of Gazasia.

9 Federal and State Policies in Place

What federal policies exist that are supporting food rescues? What are some examples of waste-related state initiatives?

10 Food Rescue-Related Policies Federal Policies In Place

Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996

● Created to encourage food donation to nonprofit organizations for distribution by minimizing liability

● Simplifies the donation of “apparently wholesome food” by excluding donor liability except in terms of gross negligence

● Fosters a more leisurely donation process by protecting individuals and companies from civil and criminal liability should the food donated cause later harm to the recipient

11 Food Rescue-Related Policies Federal Policies In Place (cont’d)

US Federal Food Donation Act of 2008

● Encourages federal agencies to donate excess food to nonprofit organizations

● Continues to utilize the exemption for civil and criminal liability provided for in the 1996 law

12 Food Rescue-Related Policies State Policy Case Study: Massachusetts

Massachusetts Food Waste Ban of 2014

● Commercial food-waste ban on the disposal of commercial organic wastes by businesses and institutions that dispose of one ton or more of these materials per week

● Requires that organic waste such as food scraps and expired package foods be diverted away from landfills and sent to food pantries, compost facilities, or anaerobic digestion facilities

13 Food Rescue-Related Policies State Policy Case Study: Vermont

Vermont Act 148

● Passed unanimously in 2012, this is a universal recycling and composting law that provides Vermonters with a new set of systems, tools, and standardized labels to encourage and help them keep as much waste as possible out of landfills

● Includes a phase-in of tools and solutions to encourage citizens to reduce waste, leading up to a ban of food scraps in 2020

Many states have mirroring legislation on the books. You can see a by-state guide here: http://www.refed.com/tools/food-waste-policy-finder/

14 Introduction to Lovin’ Spoonfuls

Where did Lovin’ Spoonfuls begin and how did it grow? What impact does Lovin’ Spoonfuls have on its partners?

15 Introduction to Lovin’ Spoonfuls

Lovin’ Spoonfuls (LS) is a Boston-based food rescue service that is dedicated to facilitating the distribution of healthy, fresh food to underserved communities.

16 Lovin’ Spoonfuls By the Numbers

Distributing Serving over 8 million+ over 60,000 35,000 pounds of food individuals in a pounds of weekly week food rescued

to date! 6 trucks on the road visiting 5 to 7 vendors per day, per truck.

Partnered with over 15 Network of over 140 nonprofit current 70 food vendors services employees

17 Donor Partnerships: 2010 - 2017

Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ partnerships with donors have grown substantially since 2010. Today, LS is partnered with over 70 donors in the Greater Boston and MetroWest areas of Massachusetts.

* All 2017 figures are as of October

18 Beneficiary Partnerships: 2010 - 2017

Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ partnerships with beneficiaries have grown substantially since 2010. Today, LS is partnered with over 140 beneficiaries in the Greater Boston and MetroWest areas of Massachusetts.

* All 2017 figures are as of October

19 A Day in the Life Of a Food Coordinator: Joel Simonson

The average route covers approximately

7 DONORS

and

7 BENEFICIARIES

feeding

OVER 2,000 PEOPLE A DAY

Link to ‘A Day in the Life’ video: https://youtu.be/aAZaT_LEXvU

20 Current Partnerships: Greater Boston-MetroWest

*Map includes three examples of LS daily routes from three out of six trucks 21 Interviews with Partners

How did Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ relationships with its partners start? How is Lovin’ Spoonfuls impacting its partners?

22 Interviews with Partners Karen Franczyk, Whole Foods (Donor)

November 7th, 2017

Key Points • LS is professional, trustworthy, committed, and very organized • LS possesses excellent communication skills • Added bonuses include refrigerated trucks, ServSafe certifications, and paid employees rather than volunteers • Strong belief in their mission statement

“I personally believe very strongly that their model works … It’s a great model to replicate. I would love to see them work with other regions at large, and if I could, I would have them pick up at all of our stores around the country. They’re always friendly, always helpful, and very thorough. Their motto is: ‘there’s enough food, we just have to go get it’ and I love that. I really do think that’s true.”

23 Interviews with Partners Joanne Barry, A Place to Turn (Beneficiary) November 2nd, 2017

Key Points • The organization’s ability to pick and choose what food is needed from the truck • LS prioritizes customer satisfaction • LS has respectful, professional, and responsive employees

“You can read every article on [Ashley Stanley] and she is just as wonderful and personable and committed as you read about. But our delivery people—our point of contact—they are professional, personable, they listen to what we have to say, they’re on time, and that’s really important, especially when it’s a chaotic food pantry.”

24 Interviews with Partners Kelsey Hampton, Natick Service Council (Beneficiary) November 9th, 2017

Key Points • LS is flexible and able to accommodate multiple schedules • The variety of LS products supports a balanced diet of healthy, nutritious food • LS is able to manage growth and maintain a well-organized business dedicated to providing excellent customer service

“I really can’t say how well they run it enough…. They do such a great job. They are growing so fast as an organization, but still, when you talk to anyone in the organization, from the CEO down to the driver, it feels like such a closely-knit community and we’ve really gotten to develop great relationships with them. It feels like they have genuine interest in the success of our organization. They’re interested in our success, just as much as theirs.”

25 Interviews with Partners Rebecca Gallo, MetroWest Health Foundation (Sponsor) October 17th, 2017

Key Points • LS provides a systematic solution to the issue of food insecurity • LS meets an important health need in the area and possessed the tools needed to grow • LS has a clear brand and goals were made known through strong social media presence, marketing, and PR efforts

“They’re bringing healthier food into the pantries. That was the biggest thing that stood out, and we’ve heard that from the pantries we’ve spoken to. They’re giving away 2-3x more produce than they usually do. Lovin Spoonfuls has really helped our nonprofit partners and definitely increased the amount of healthy food they can give out.

26 The Stages of Starting a Food Rescue

How can the Lovin’ Spoonfuls model be replicated? What makes Lovin’ Spoonfuls so successful? What are the key essentials to developing and growing a food rescue?

27 Stages–Table of Contents 1. Develop Your Mission 2. Who Has Excess Fresh Food? a. How Food Rescue Will Benefit Donors 3. Who Needs Excess Fresh Food? 4. The Cost of Starting Up a. Breakdown of Costs and Revenue 5. Build Your Team a. Relationships Map: The Beginning Stages b. Team Development and Training 6. Fundraising a. The Ultimate Tailgate Party b. The Boston Marathon 7. How to Succeed in Customer Service a. Set Up Logistics with Donor b. Set Up Logistics with Beneficiary c. Food Donation Safety d. Practice and Patience e. Small Things Matter Most 8. Route Management 9. Media Presence: Spreading the Word

28 The Stages of Starting a Food Rescue

We created a step-by-step guide for starting and maintaining a successful nonprofit food rescue organization based on the model of Lovin’ Spoonfuls (LS, hereafter). To develop this basic plan, we drew on extensive discussions with two employees, an interview with the founder, Ashley Stanley, multiple interviews with partner representatives, a “ride-along” with a Food Coordinator (driver), and information found regarding other existing food rescue organizations.

This business blueprint is adoptable to all communities. We acknowledge that there will be changes necessary depending upon the landscape and needs of each community. Lovin’ Spoonfuls has had large success in the greater Boston area and is continually growing. We discuss in this report the qualities that set apart Lovin’ Spoonfuls from similar organizations.

29 “How-To” Food Rescue Guide

Spread the Word!

Route Media Management Presence

Build Your Customer Team Funding Service

Rescue Excess Donors & Mission Food Receivers Vehicle

30 1. Develop Your Mission

There is a need for improved distribution of fresh, healthy food in your community and you are ready to address it. Before you begin business development, it is highly recommended that you research programs and organizations in your area that are already in place and that have similar goals. What gaps exist that you can fill? Tools such as the ReFED Online Database are useful for identifying these potential organizations in your area. How can you add to their work, create a partnership with them, or support each other? Organizations to search for include food rescues, food banks, cultural and community centers, school groups, farms, restaurants etc. Greater knowledge about the local food landscape will strengthen and clarify your mission and will help separate you from the others.

Write down your name, mission statement, and objectives (i.e. goals), and the action by which you will accomplish them. These will become the workings of an action plan.

Example Mission Statement: Rescue “excess” produce using a personal vehicle and coolers and deliver it directly to local agencies in need of fresh food to serve their community. Fill in the gaps of Food Banks, etc who don’t/can’t pick up fresh, soon-to-expire produce [adapted from Boulder Food Rescue].

31 2. Who Has Excess Fresh Food?

Identify grocers, farms, restaurants...stores that likely have daily excess food On a map, mark all of the potential donors, such as grocery stores, farms, farmer’s markets, and other food vendors, in your area of interest that likely have a surplus of fresh food (produce, dairy, meat, pre-made, pastries). Decide whether or not you have any existing connections to these donors. Finally, research their business and search for information regarding their food waste and existing community involvement.

Knock on their doors Call and ask for the manager, and set up a time to meet in person. In your meeting, ask about where their excess food goes and share with them your mission. Ask if they are willing to become a partner! You should be knowledgeable about the landscape and know of the other groups they are working with in order to explain how your organization is different and can help them. We expect push back from donors who may see your mission as a risk to their business and extra labor for their employees. We have compiled a set of talking points that will help win them over with kindness and persistence.

So… Be prepared and know your stuff!

32 2a. How Food Rescue Will Benefit Donors

1. Save Money Saving money is especially important for grocers who generate on average (in a 15,000 sq. ft. store) 500 tons of trash annually. In New England, trash disposal cost averages $90/ton, compost “tipping” cost averages $50/ton, and food donations cost $0/ton (or less than $50/ton). Disposal costs in the region are much higher than other parts of the country, so costs may be smaller in other areas. A grocer can easily claim tax benefits on donations by scanning out donated food.

2. It’s Safe Some grocers mistakenly believe that it is a liability to donate food excess in the case that it makes someone sick; however, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996 ensures individuals, corporations, organizations, wholesales, retailers, etc. who donate food in good faith have uniform protection from civil and criminal liability. There is no risk involved.

3. We handle the logistics Donors may have been previously unaware of where and how to send food donations. They may not know how long foods are safe past “sell-by.” You will fill this gap by providing training to their employees on food donation and safety (see section 7b), maintaining communication with and feedback to a floor manager, and working with them to schedule a convenient time and place for pickup and sticking to this routine. Extra work on their side will be minimal (see section 7).

Source: Mass DEP 33 2a. How Food Rescue Will Benefit Donors (cont’d)

4. Achieve and Satisfy Donating excess food to hunger relief efforts creates a positive image in the community. It will also help achieve “green goals,” such as zero waste or low environmental impact. Other organizations, such as Boulder Food Rescue, have reported that employees are happier knowing that their workplace donates food excess. While grocers may be hesitant, try reeling them in by pointing out that their competitors are already involved. By listing out the stores that have already decided to partner up with your food rescue—and are having an easy time doing so—you can help potential clients recognize just how much waste they can divert through the partnership, and how effortless it can be.

Don’t Be Afraid To Just Go For It! Once you have made a connection with a donor and beneficiary, it’s possible to make a delivery depending on your means. “The initial ‘rescue’ and delivery” made by Lovin’ Spoonfuls Founder, Ashley Stanley, was in her words, “more like R&D.” She saw excess food at a local Trader Joe’s, asked if she could take it with her, and personally delivered it to the Pine Street Inn, a nearby shelter, as a donation. Stanley says that at this point, “nothing about [the action] showed it could be blown into a business,” but she had made the connection between “a demand, and a supply.” Go for it!

34 3. Who Needs Excess Fresh Food?

Identify centers, food banks, churches that need fresh food access The plan for potential beneficiaries is similar to that of donors. Beneficiaries will be easier to partner with (and you will soon be in demand by them). Identify all of the potential receivers, call their manager, and tell them of your mission.

Identify who they are already receiving food from, where they are lacking, and how you can best serve them. Often, beneficiaries will not have fresh produce, dairy, or meat, and your mission will be to fill this glaring gap. Identify their storage capacity (see section 7a) and what day(s) and at what hour makes sense for them to receive food. For example, if they serve on Friday at noon, delivering at 1pm would be unhelpful.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls serves roughly equal numbers of donors and beneficiaries per route/day with a 100 lb minimum from donors. However, it began by taking whatever it could get from donors (it was not 100 lb). Food coordinators can best manage the spread of donations; they quickly learn and adapt to who needs what and of how much. In the early stages, it will be important not to over-promise to beneficiaries; offer less and provide more.

35 4. The Costs of Starting Up

There are a few crucial things in the beginning that will require initial investments.

Transportation Once you have donors and receivers, you are now tasked with transporting the food (via a personal vehicle, Zipcar, U-haul, bike, or refrigerated truck). Proper vehicles and equipment (i.e. large cooler) should be the first things you rent or purchase and include in grant applications along with salaries (see section 6). Ashley Stanley used her personal vehicle at the beginning of the LS process and employees were not initially paid as is common with a start-up business.

Today, Lovin’ Spoonfuls owns six refrigerated trucks, sporting their logo, and each truck runs one route per day. LS has found great success with refrigerated trucks, which it was able to purchase with funding. LS partners expressed the importance of having their food transported in refrigerated trucks for food safety.

Apply for 501(c)(3) Status Understand benefits of and what it means to be a nonprofit before applying. To apply, you must have a mission, bylaws, and an organization structure in place; you report revenues and expenses yearly to your State Attorney General. The IRS form for 501(c)(3) can be found here.

36 4a. Breakdown of Revenues and Costs

Potential Costs

Accounting Fees Administrative Expenses Advertising / Marketing Auto Insurance / Permits Executive Compensation Fundraising Expenses Legal Fees Office Rent / Utilities Salaries and Wages Trucks & Fuel

Sources of Revenue Grants Donations Fundraising*

*For Lovin’ Spoonfuls, fundraisers such as the Ultimate Tailgate Party account for approximately one-third of the annual budget, see Ultimate Tailgate Party for additional information.

37 5. Build Your Team

These are the bare minimum positions to have on your team for a smooth start.

Founder (You) Food Rescue Coordinator (Driver) - In the beginning, this may be a friend or family member, and may be temporary - High-energy, attentive, flexible, and caring for strong customer-service - Important to eventually have consistency (low turnover) in food coordinators Daily Operations Manager - Manage day-to-day operations, such as driving routes, on road technology, donors and beneficiaries - Strong time management, organized, multitasker, and versatile in skillset Development Manager - Vision and strategy for future - Funding and budget management - Outreach and social media - Planning and communication skills, organized, visionary, and versatile in skillset Floater - Versatile skillset: can work in office, day-to-day operator; fills in as Food Coordinator when needed

38 5a. Build Your Team Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ Beginning Stages

Donor Trader Joe’s

1st Driver Founder nd Ashley’s Cousin 2 Driver Ashley Stanley (temporary)

Receiver Pine Street Inn Floater

39 5b. Team Development and Training

A great way to develop any team is by finding younger folks who are seeking opportunities and exposure in the food industry.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls had two unpaid interns in their first year who were tasked with writing grant proposals and were instrumental in helping LS get started financially.

Where to reach out and find interns? - College and University Career Centers - Town Halls - Online Job Postings and Social Media (see section 9)

Employee ServSafe® Training Familiarize your employees with food donation safety laws (Good Samaritan Food Donation Act) and guidelines created by states, food banks, and grocers. Lovin’ Spoonfuls made their own user-friendly guidelines for their donors as well. Most importantly, your employees should be ServSafe® certified early in the process because donors, beneficiaries, and funders see this as trustworthiness and good practice. ServSafe is nationally recognized and training courses are available online for less than $125.

40 6. Fundraising

Start with Small “Investments” Apply for Grants Early funding efforts should focus on Write grant proposals to local and national food, investments as your business grows along with health, or charitable foundations. Be broad in your grants and donations. scope as the organizations that will fund you could be unpredictable. Apply for state and federal Hire a Grant Writer government funding, but be aware that this has If you are unfamiliar with your local financial been (for Lovin’ Spoonfuls) the limiting factor in landscape, hire a consultant to assist with grant financial aid. writing and to show you where to look and from whom to source money. Use existing Seek Support connections and resources to fill the place of a Reach out to reputable corporations in the food hired grant-writer if this is not a financially industry, especially those with green and charitable suitable or desired action. initiatives, that could support your organization in writing, in advertising, by word of mouth, or Crowdfunding financially. Support from these allies will boost your Crowdfunding sites (i.e., Kickstarter, organization’s name. GoFundMe) are another potential source of funding.

41 6a. LS Fundraising Strategy: The Ultimate Tailgate Party

What is it? - A private fundraising event for Lovin’ Spoonfuls individual donors and sponsors - Each year over 500 people come together for a night of wine, cheese, and great food

How does it work? - LS holds various auctions and raffles on items and packages donated by business partners - The company raises awareness by promoting the event on social media, via email, and passing out flyers at local restaurants

What are the results? - The money LS raises through ticket sales and purchases at the event represents nearly ⅓ of Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ annual budget

In 2017, Lovin’ Spoonfuls had its most successful tailgate to date, raising close to $375,000!

42 6b. LS Fundraising Strategy: The Boston Marathon

How does it work? - The John Hancock Foundation is a sponsor that supports a select group of nonprofits, Lovin’ Spoonfuls included, with its Marathon Non-Profit Program (see link below). - Friends and employees of Lovin’ Spoonfuls commit to raising funds and running the Boston Marathon to support Lovin’ Spoonfuls.

What are the results? - In addition to being a fun way to support a good cause, the marathon is a great way to increase brand visibility and get the word out. - For the 2017 year, participants helped raise over $21,000 for Lovin’ Spoonfuls!

John Hancock Marathon Non-Profit Information: https://www.johnhancock.com/citizenship/boston-marathon.html

43 7. How to Succeed in Customer Service

Customer service and routine consistency are two crucial pieces to Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ unique success that are rarely included in guidelines for starting a business. By observing a food coordinator (driver) on his daily route and analyzing feedback we received from partner interviews, we have identified a basic daily “how-to” on food rescue customer service.

The expectations of your partner should be expressed clearly from the beginning, and continued throughout the relationship. Three keys to success: Communication, Consistency, and Flexibility

7a. Set Up Logistics with Donor

Site Visit to Donor Once a donor partnership is formed, set up a site visit. A few things should happen during this visit. First, you should meet with the person who has been designated as your main on-site contact. This “manager” will be the point person who interacts on a daily-basis with the food coordinator. They will respond to suggestions for improvement, alert the food coordinator of any problems, remain responsible for employee compliance, and make sure excess food is scanned out and ready to go before the truck arrives.

44 7a. Set Up Logistics with Donor (cont’d) Site Visit to Donor (cont’d) Here are questions for donors: - Where will the truck will park and load? - What kind of containers the food will be in? (most grocers recycle boxes and have extra) - Where will each type of food be put in the store prior to pickup? - What organizations already pick up and how do you coordinate? - On which day(s) and at what time(s) is pickup possible?

Finally, you will solidify the best method of daily communication. Every partner will have a different preference. For example, some prefer to be alerted 20 minutes prior to arrival, while others expect the truck to only call if a driver is running behind schedule. All of the logistical details will be worked out over time between the partner contact and the food coordinator.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls food coordinators provide informational sheets to the on-site contact with the LS logo, their name, phone number, time and day of pickups, and a brief statement on food rescue. This is recommended.

During the site visit, make a point to meet team leaders from different departments (i.e. produce, dairy, meat, prepared food, etc.). Be respectful of time, but also make sure that they receive your mission and know how pleased you are to work with them. Make a good first impression, recognize boundaries, and appreciate the extra commitment. Food donation may seem like an obvious solution to food waste and hunger but many people do not know this.

45 7b. Set Up Logistics with Beneficiary

Site Visit to Beneficiary A site visit to a beneficiary is similar to that of a donor with respect to identifying and meeting the on-site contact and detailing the logistics of your drop-off. Here are questions for beneficiaries (this is a continuation of section 3): - What is their storage capacity* and equipment (fridge, freezer, shelving, kitchen)? - How many people do they serve daily/weekly? - On what days do they serve? How do they distribute the food (prepared, market style)? - From whom do they already receive? What do they receive and when? - What products are needed? - On which day(s) and at what time would they like to receive?

As with the donor, you will solidify the best method of daily communication. You are also encouraged to give the on-site contact your informational sheet.

*If storage poses a challenge, there are solutions. For example, Lovin’ Spoonfuls began working with a food bank that had no refrigerators. The food bank raised money to purchase two refrigerators, and it now receives and serves fresh vegetables, dairy, and meat.

46 7c. Food Donation Safety

Food Donation Safety Training

The next step is to meet donor employees who will handle the excess food and schedule an on-site mandatory training session on food donation safety. Following the Lovin’ Spoonfuls model, a representative from your organization can use their ServSafe® Certification knowledge and these safety guidelines created by LS to train donor employees and clearly express your expectations. Since food can be consumed past its “sell-by” and “best by” dates, these general guidelines by LS follow others created by states, stores, and similar organizations to assure the excess food is safe. If there is uncertainty in a food item’s safety, use of the USDA FoodKeeper App is recommended.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls requires that food is sorted at the store rather than by the beneficiary or the food coordinator for increased time efficiency and assurance that any inedible food still goes into compost. The food coordinator will likely have to sort food during the pilot rescues as employees get comfortable with sorting excess food.

The formality of the safety training will depend on the space and the size of the donor. Training should be on-site and take place as early as possible in the process.

Food Donation Safety Guidelines by LS: https://adobe.ly/2BjvvNV Prepped Foods Guidelines by LS: https://adobe.ly/2CKyyPt Procedure Overview for Team Members by LS: https://adobe.ly/2Bnj9V5

47 7c. Food Donation Safety (cont’d)

Food Donation Safety General Guidelines:

Food donation safety includes knowing what can and cannot be donated, how to check for proper dates, and using best judgment above all. Below are the general guidelines that LS uses to chart out ‘Acceptable’ and ‘Unacceptable’ conditions, linked here: https://adobe.ly/2BjvvNV

Acceptable Conditions Unacceptable Conditions

● Original packaging (seal needs to be intact, ● Damaged or compromised packaging (all if applicable) products) ● Undamaged product may only pulled on ● Discolored product (all products) or before the code date ● Significant signs of spoilage (all products) ● For Produce, Prepared Foods, & Dairy: ● Product that is dripping as a result of Refrigerated at all times decay (produce) Must be stored at 40 degrees or below ● Severely freezer burned (meat/dairy) ● For Meat: must be frozen solid in order to ● Returns (all products) donate ● For Meat & Dairy: Segregated by species/type

48 7d. Practice and Patience

Pilot Rescues

After introductory conversations and (hopefully) a food safety training session, pilot the donor for the next few weeks, making adjustments on the fly until you both settle into a routine.

The initial training is not the end point, as there will be a need for new trainings in response to turnover. There should be periodic meetings between the on-site contact and the food coordinator. The food coordinator should inform your organization’s operations manager of any unexpected occurrences or difficulties with partners and follow up with the partner, if necessary. Patience and flexibility will smooth the pilot process. Constant training is expected, and gentle reminders to the donor of what your food rescuers are looking for are appropriate. If an undesirable trend is noticed, for example, the food coordinator can seek out a particular department and conduct an in-store training, being polite but honest about how the department can increase its standards.

Once trust has been created between food coordinator and donor employees, the food coordinator will be able to move faster through pickups, glancing quickly at the food products and assuring that they adhere to the donation guidelines.

After a couple of weeks to a month of working with a beneficiary, food coordinators have the responsibility of knowing what the beneficiary needs and how much it can take and use. Drop-offs will become smoother and more effective. If food is leftover at end of a route, LS uses apps to locate and contact a place off-route that needs it. Food rescue is a balancing act.

49 7e. Small Things Matter Most

Riding along with an LS food coordinator elucidated essential pieces of customer service that do not often get documented. Some points below are more generalized while others are specific to the food rescue business and all are why LS receives great respect. These strongly apply to food coordinators as well as to all food rescue team members.

Food rescuers... 1. Always wear a smile and say hello to everyone. They give a respectful effort to get to know those they interact with most more personally, making them feel important and recognized. 2. Use the right language. Say food “excess” rather than “donation” or “waste.” 3. Assure donor employees that the rescue is there only when needed and that it is not a problem when donors do not have a lot of excess. Recognize that their excess = donor monetary loss. 4. Casually let donor employees know where the food is going when appropriate. For example, a food coordinator might mention that s/he is bringing the food to an elementary school. This information helps people realize their contribution and could incite better work efforts. 5. Stick to the same routes, regions, and partners. Although turnover depends on many factors, having as little turnover as possible in food coordinators (full-time employee, no volunteers) is incredibly important. Most partners mentioned that seeing the same friendly face at every pickup and drop-off was essential to building trust, consistency, and a strong partnership.

50 8. Route Management

Solidifying Route Management & Communication to Team Smartphone applications offer road maps for route efficiency, time management, and tracking as well as systems to monitor food excess. The operations manager and food coordinators should develop routes with roughly equal amounts of donors and beneficiaries. Note that these will be variable as partners change.

Waze App for Driving Routes The Waze App is best known for finding the fastest route at any time of day. It will store information on locations of donors and beneficiaries so drivers can easily locate the next stop; however, food coordinators will become familiar with their routes, traffic restrictions (depending on the size and type of delivery vehicle).

Create Shorthand Create organization-wide shorthand for locations, food category, and weight for use in records. [Name] [Location] e.g. Target Everett = TGE [Food Category] e.g. Produce = Pro

BarCloud App (switching to Wasp Inventory Cloud) for Food Records BarCloud is one example of an app for easy record keeping (shorthand welcome). Advantageous use require food coordinators to routinely fill out the food category, weight per category, location, and time of each exchange. They may find it helpful to record all the information on paper during the exchange before entering into the app. BarCloud can be linked through the whole team (and with partners), allowing everyone to see what is on each delivery vehicle in real-time. However, Lovin’ Spoonfuls is in the process of transitioning to Wasp Inventory Cloud and will no longer use BarCloud.

51 9. Media Presence: Spreading the Word

Social Media A strong media presence in your area will increase likelihood of support and success. This will entail being active on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) to promote your brand and your organization's activities. Create a Facebook Page with your mission statement, pictures, and activities and invite friends to “like” and “share” it. People turn to online sources like social media when they want to find out more about a company so make sure you are easily accessible. Designate one or more people from your team to be in charge of managing your online presence.

Design Your Logo You should design a clear, attractive logo, which can be placed on trucks, shirts, posters, etc. to increase your brand awareness. This logo should be easily recognizable so that people associate it with your company every time they see it!

Local News Presence Seek out a local newspaper or news station for an interview or to have a story written about your organization. The most important thing is that your brand name is getting out into the community and that people are associating it with what you are trying to accomplish. In Lovin’ Spoonfuls case, having this visibility helped them to get noticed by a local foundation that led to a three year grant!

Helpful Links Here are some links to free logo design and low cost merchandise: - https://www.freelogodesign.org/index.html - https://www.123stickers.com/ - https://www.customink.com/

52 What’s Next for Lovin’ Spoonfuls? Lovin’ Spoonfuls current goals for the future are to…

Enhance Partner Relations

Lovin’ Spoonfuls is currently working on creating Annual Impact Reports to improve partnership visibility. These reports provide metrics and data to monitor the amount of waste each donor is diverting through their Lovin’ Spoonfuls partnership. The reports compare waste in relation to the average store within their chain, and show improvements from the previous year. The reports will be sent to vendors whom LS works with multiple days a week.

Expand, Expand, Expand!

Lovin’ Spoonfuls would like to see the business grow across the entire state of Massachusetts. A long term goal would be to see its model replicated throughout the United States.

Grow The Team

Lovin’ Spoonfuls is currently a small team of 15. The more people it has on the operations side, the more food insecure people the business can reach. However, this type of expansion comes within the limits of funding.

53 Sources

Alternative Dairy & Meat Donation Guidelines. (2014). Food Donation Connection and Whole Foods Market. Bhurosy, T., & Jeewon, R. (2014). Overweight and Obesity Epidemic in Developing Countries: A Problem with Diet, Physical Activity, or Socioeconomic Status? The Scientific World Journal, 2014. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/964236 Chandler, A. (2016, July 15). Why Americans Lead the World in Food Waste. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/07/american-food-waste/491513/ Chittenden Solid Waste District. (2017). Act 148: Universal Recycling Law and Composting Law. Retrieved from https://cswd.net/about-cswd/universal-recycling-law-act-148/ Congressional Research Service. (2007). S. 2420 — 110th Congress: Federal Food Donation Act of 2008. Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/s2420/text Hall K.D., Guo, J., Dore, M., Chow, C.C. (2009). The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact. PLoS ONE 4(11): e7940. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775916/ Jacobs, H. (2014). Why Grocery Stores Like Trader Joe’s Throw Out So Much Perfectly Good Food. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/why-grocery-stores-throw-out-so-much-food-2014-10 Leschin-Hoar, C. (2014). Banning food waste: companies in Massachusetts get ready to compost. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/sep/09/ food-waste-ban-massachusetts-compost-landfill-food-banks?utm_content=buffera39f0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&u tm_campaign=greenbiztweets Lovin’ Spoonfuls. (2017). 7th Annual Ultimate Tailgate Party. Retrieved from https://lovinspoonfulsinc.org/news-updates/3321/thank-incredible-7th-annual-ultimate-tailgate-party/ Lovin’ Spoonfuls. (2017). Food Rescue FAQ. Retrieved from https://lovinspoonfulsinc.org/food-rescue/faq/#_ftn1 MassDEP. (2005). Supermarket Composting Handbook. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved from http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/recycle/reduce/m-thru-x/smhandbk.pdf United States Legal Liability Issues. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.foodtodonate.com/Fdcmain/LegalLiabilities.aspx USDA ERS. (2017). “Definitions of Food Security” Food Security in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-food-security/

54 Sources (cont’d)

USDA. (2017). US Food Waste Challenge/Recovery and Donations. Office of the Chief Economist. Retrieved from https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/resources/donations.htm US EPA, R. 09. (2015, July 30). Converting Food Waste to Renewable Energy [Overviews and Factsheets]. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/pacific-southwest-media-center/converting-food-waste-renewable-energy Vaidyanathan, G. (2015). How Bad of a Greenhouse Gas is Methane? Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-bad-of-a- greenhouse-gas-is-methane/ Whole Foods Market. (2017). Company Information. Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info

Helpful Links

Boulder Food Rescue Guide: https://www.boulderfoodrescue.org/ City Harvest NYC Food Rescue: https://www.cityharvest.org/ Donation Guidelines - City Harvest Donor Q&A: https://www.cityharvest.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/FY18NewDonorPacket.pdf Find Food Rescues in Your Area: http://sustainableamerica.org/foodrescue/ John Hancock Marathon Non-Profit Information: https://www.johnhancock.com/citizenship/boston-marathon.html Nonprofit application: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1023 ReFED Database: http://www.refed.com/tools/innovator-database/ State-by-State Legislation Guide: http://www.refed.com/tools/food-waste-policy-finder/ Supermarket Composting Handbook: http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/recycle/reduce/m-thru-x/smhandbk.pdf USDA FoodKeeper App: https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/foodkeeperapp/index.html

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