3/17/2020
Due to the quickly changing situation we are adjusting our operations accordingly to continue to provide you healthy, local food, while also mitigating risk to our staff. We have two important updates for you.
1 of 2. Update to Safety Protocol: No-Contact Delivery Policy
In order to help ensure the health of our staff, our customers, and the general community, we now will be tightening up our delivery protocols to eliminate as much direct person-to-person contact as possible. Details are as follows:
We will be dropping deliveries outside of customer facilities in order to minimize our drivers' contact with public surfaces.
Upon arrival, our driver will knock on the receiving door to get the receiver’s attention. If necessary, the driver will telephone the receiver.
Food Connects will no longer require a signed order slip at delivery. We will leave the customer copy of the invoice with the delivered boxes. If you need to verify the load before our driver leaves, please tell our driver in advance.
If there is any issue with a delivered order, please reach out ASAP to Julicia (orders@foodconnects.org, 802-451-0550) to resolve the issue.
In order to help this system run smoothly:
Please send us the best phone number for your receiver, if possible!
Please do not ask our drivers to enter your facility.
Please let us know if you have specific directions regarding where to leave deliveries outside your facility.
Thank you for helping us make this temporary transition smoothly!
2 of 2. Temporary Delivery Schedule Change: NO Friday Delivery
We are reducing our operations to one delivery cycle per week, offering deliveries on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on your usual delivery route:
Wednesday: Southern VT, Southern NH
Thursday: Upper Valley (VT + NH)
Friday: NO DELIVERIES, FOR NOW
Please refer to the ordering schedule below, and please reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
If your delivery location or procedure has changed or closed, please let us know. We are happy to figure out alternative delivery solutions to ensure your Wednesday or Thursday delivery is as easy and safe as possible.
Order Schedule: For delivery on Wednesday or Thursday
Monday: Place order through order platform, text, call, or email by 10:00 am (usual order procedures apply). Bread orders are due the Friday Prior by 10 am.
Tuesday: Order picked up from farms by Food Connects
Wednesday: Delivery to main distribution areas per usual delivery routes
Thursday: Delivery to Upper Valley customers per usual delivery route.
Friday: NO DELIVERIES, FOR NOW
We truly appreciate your flexibility as we work to keep our farmers, customers, and staff safe and feed through this ever-changing period.
Thank you!
Food Connects
3/12/2020
Dear Valued Food Hub Customers,
We’re writing in response to the growing concerns regarding the COVIOD-19 outbreak. We acknowledge the serious concerns for the health and safety of our communities as the situation continues to develop. Our #1 priority during this time is to support our communities through continued access to fresh, local food. As of now, we intend to continue our operations, as usual, maintaining our regular pick-up and delivery schedule. We will keep you updated if anything changes.
Please let us know how we can help you through this time and know that we are taking precautions to keep you and our drivers protected.
Starting this week, we have intensified our food safety and handling hygiene practices and enhanced sanitation protocols along our routes and within our warehouse. We’ve taken the following steps to minimize risks associated with product handling and transportation:
Our food storage and staging areas are outfitted with hand sanitizer, as normal.
No non-food hub staff will be allowed in food storage or handling areas at Food Connects.
All delivery vehicles have been stocked with hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes for surface, and single-use latex gloves.
Drivers have been instructed to:
Thoroughly wash their hands as often as possible at locations along delivery routes.
Disinfect hands with hand sanitizer before and after every pickup and delivery.
Use disinfecting wipes multiple times per delivery shift to wipe down high-contact areas inside delivery vehicles.
Avoid physical interactions with persons along the pickup and delivery routes.
Ask receivers to use their own pens to sign documents and generally avoid handing anything back and forth.
Notify us immediately if they feel any symptoms associated with coronavirus. Drivers with symptoms will be relieved of driving responsibilities.
If you, or someone within your facility, are feeling sick, please arrange for alternative receiving procedures. We are happy to work with you on adjusted delivery directions or point-of-contact, or any and all, other contingency plans to ensure your continued deliveries, while also ensuring the safety of our staff.
We know these are trying times, and we’re here to help.
Sincerely,
Food Connects