Dear Food Connects Stakeholders,
We’re writing in response to the growing concerns regarding the COVID-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.
Our vision is for Healthy Families, Thriving Farms, and Connected Communities. Now is the time for us, and our community, to step up to realize that vision. We are inspired by our community, and by others across the country, who in the face of the coronavirus threat are stepping up and supporting the local food system in new ways. Food Connects works hard to build strong community partnerships in preparation for times like these.
Local food is more important than ever. We will continue to work hard to ensure the safety of our food and decrease the miles it travels, reducing potential health risks. Our local food delivery service was designed to diversify product selection, ensuring our communities remain resilient to withstand national food emergencies. Now, it’s clear that our transparent, local food delivery system is critical to the safety of our food while keeping the community fed and small farms and businesses afloat in the face of COVID-19.
Precautionary Measures
Food Connects Operations:
As of now, we intend to continue our day-to-day operations.
All non-essential employees will work remotely. You should see limited disruption in communications as we routinely telecommute.
We will continue to work with our local and statewide partners, remotely, to ensure our community continues to receive the food it needs.
Food Hub Operations
We modified our regular delivery schedule and routes to minimize direct person-to-person contact, while still ensuring we can provide food to our communities.
Our drivers will eliminate physical interactions upon delivery.
We intensified our food safety and handling hygiene practices and enhanced sanitation protocols along our routes and within our warehouse to minimize risks associated with product handling and transportation.
Farm to School
The Farm to School program shifted the entirety of its focus to supporting school meal programs. We postponed our Farm to School Conference and other professional development engagements until a later date. We continue to be a strong partner with local schools during this time of uncertainty. Through collaborations like the Hunger Council, we are coordinating the community response to support meal programs and connecting volunteers with the needs of schools. Once a coordinated response is established, we will do our part to address the logistical needs of food distribution. If you are looking for ways to help or need assistance meeting the needs of your community, we encourage folks to utilize the United Way Get Connected platform. This allows for an effective and coordinated volunteer response to community needs.
Community Resources
Looking for assistance or ways to help the community? Check out these resources below.
Monadnock Region community help during coronavirus by The Keene Sentinel - Facebook Group
Mutual Aid - Peace and Justice Center
New Hampshire 2-1-1 (or call 211)
Vermont 2-1-1 (or call 211)
Moving Forward
It is imperative that our community stands strong together during this time. We are working hard with our local and statewide partners to continue supporting local businesses and feeding our community.
In the meantime, we ask that you continue to be a champion for local food. Ordering takeout or delivery from local restaurants helps them stay in business. Purchasing locally-grown produce at your neighboring co-op ensures that farms in our region can still thrive. Donating to food banks, school meal programs, and other meal delivery service non-profits guarantees our neighbors are not hungry.
Please let us know how we can help you through this time and know that we are taking the utmost precautions to keep you and our staff protected. We will continue to update our stakeholders throughout this process with any critical information we can provide.
Sincerely,
The Food Connects Team