Gardeners in your community will want to do their part to help your pantry as their garden bounty is harvested. AmpleHarvest.org has provided guidelines to the gardeners to help them reduce the likelihood of infecting their garden bounty with the COVID-19 virus.
To keep the donating gardener, yourself, the food pantry staff and the hungry families safe, please follow these guidelines:
1. We are asking gardeners to not harvest food if they are not feeling well and to use gloves at all times when they harvest.
2. We are asking gardeners to call ahead to your food pantry before they deliver, to let you know when they plan to come. Please invite them to leave the food, if at all possible, outside of the pantry, to enable them to drop it off and then immediately leave without having any close contact with a staffer.
3. We encourage you to remind your food pantry clients to rinse all fresh food if possible, thoroughly. If they cook the food, the cooking kills any virus that may be present. For more food safety information please visit the CDC page Food and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
4. You should of course follow any/all health and safety guidelines provided by local authorities, your regional food bank and/or Feeding America itself.
AmpleHarvest.org is working harder than ever to help you get more locally grown fresh food for your clients.
This is a difficult time for America. AmpleHarvest.org and the gardeners in your community are working to make it a bit less difficult.