Neighbor Centered Practices
Offering Customer Choice
OrderAhead
Learn MoreUse OrderAhead to help your neighbors choose food and arrange a convenient time to pick up their order.
OrderAhead is a FREE platform developed by Feeding America for food pantries and food banks so that neighbors can order food quickly, conveniently, and privately. The process is like other online grocery ordering apps. After checking out, users get a confirmation email, and then can pick up their groceries (or have them delivered if your program offers that option) at the set time.
For food pantries, adopting OrderAhead can translate into less food waste, shorter wait times, the ability to offer choice to neighbors, and an opportunity to reach neighbors who may not be able to visit the pantry due to time constraints, lack of transportation, or physical ability.
Connecticut Foodshare has limited funding available to help you get started with OrderAhead! Write us at
orderahead@ctfoodshare.org for information.
Cultural Food Guide
The UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health offers a guide to Culturally Connected Foods guide to help pantries offer foods their neighbors prefer and tools to help survey your customers. View the guide.
Offering Home Delivery
Amazon Home Delivery Program
Submit Interest FormAmazon offers a free Home Delivery Program for food pantries to reduce barriers for neighbors accessing food assistance.
Click here for an overview of the program. Please note the per pick up minimum for each service model. Amazon Flex is the most popular model.
How it works: Food pantries will coordinate packing bags, scheduling pickups, and manage recipent lists. Amazon will provide the transportation and technology necessary to make deliveries.
Email Josh Hirschland at Amazon with any questions.
Learn more about Amazon's food security response here. Fill out an interest form for the Home Delivery Program below.
Project DASH: DoorDash Home Delivery Program
DoorDash offers delivery services through Project DASH to improve neighbor's accessibility to food pantries. There are potential costs associated with this service, but there may be grants available to cover them.
How it works: Food pantries will manage who receives deliveries and when, along with the pickup location. Dashers will pick up the items and deliver them to recipients who will receive updates via text message.
Visit about.doordash.com/impact/project-dash to learn more and contact DoorDash.
Promoting Health and Nutrition
Supporting Wellness At Pantries (SWAP)
Supporting Wellness At Pantries (SWAP)
Connecticut Foodshare ranks food in its inventory using SWAP, and dozens of food pantries across Connecticut are doing the same. We have resources to help you get started, as well as tools to help you talk with donors about nutrition and the link between hunger and health to encourage more donations of healthy food choices.
Learn more about implementing SWAP:
- Order SWAP Materials
- Guide to Ranking Food in SWAP Categories -English
- Guide to Ranking Food in SWAP Categories - Spanish
- Healthy Foods Donation List
Any questions? Contact strategy@ctfoodshare.org
Nutrition Resources
Creating a Welcoming Culture
Creating a Welcoming Culture at Your Program
Looking for inspiration and guidance on ways you can create a welcoming setting for your neighbors? We have resources!
Empathy Mapping - See your program through new eyes. Courtesy of Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Serving Immigrant & Refugee Populations webinar - presented by IRIS
- View Recording
- View Presentation Slides
- View recording of migration story shared in presentation slides
See how Agency Partner Emanuel Food Pantry in Hartford has transformed its space to be a welcoming environment for visitors. Watch video.
Is your program a college pantry or community kitchen? Review tips geared towards your specific program:
Welcoming Culture Webinars
Review Connecticut Foodshare's Welcoming Culture series for tips on how to create a more welcoming space for the neighbors you serve.
De-escalation Resources
Review some tips on how to de-escalate difficult situations you may face at your program:
- 7 Steps to De-Escalation
- Tips for De-Escalation
- Mental Health Response: Recognizing and Responding to Effectively to Symptoms and Behaviors Presentation
- Engaging with Clients in a Crisis: Trauma-Informed Crisis De-Escalation Presentation
Note on Continuing Education: This training has been approved for 2 Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT (NASW) and Connecticut Certification Board (CCB). Download fillable certificate.
Compassion Fatigue
Many of us have heard the instructions on an airplane to put on your own oxygen mask before attempting to help others.
People working in emergency food assistance dedicate their time to meeting the needs of others, but self-care is essential to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout. Compassion fatigue can be caused by many elements of our working environments, including chronic exposure to the emotionality of neighbors, the demands of the work itself, and the interface of these factors with our own lived experiences. These resources will explore the signs of compassion fatigue and offer strategies for recognizing and addressing the unique risk in the food assistance world.
Understanding Compassion Fatigue
Note on Continuing Education: This training has been approved for 2 Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT (NASW) and Connecticut Certification Board (CCB). Download fillable certificate.
Elevating Neighbor Voice
Centering Neighbors
Centering Neighbors in our work is important in understanding how we can help and how we can work together to end hunger by including the voices of experts. Here are some resources:
Connecting to Other Resources
Other Resources
Connecticut Foodshare has a printable, bilingual handout you can download and share with neighbors that has links to resources for food and other resources. Keep some on hand for your visitors.
You can also share this simplified flyer meant to be cut in half to save paper:
- Simplified Find Help Flyer (English)
- Simplified Find Help Flyer (Spanish)
- Simplified Find Help Flyer (English & Spanish for easy double sided printing)
Download this bilingual card you can share with neighbors. It has a QR code that links to resources beyond Connecticut Foodshare to help your neighbors with a range of needs. Keep one visible at your site for visitors.
Visit our Get Help web page for the community.
Helping Neighbors Access Wrap Around Services Presentation
Array Rx: Discount Prescription Cards
