The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank will be closed on Thursday, 11/28/24, Friday, 11/29/24, and Saturday 11/30/24 in observance of Thanksgiving Day. Closure dates may affect your agency's ORDERING, PICK UP, and DELIVERY SCHEDULES.
THURSDAY PICK UP & DELIVERY APPOINTMENTS Use the scheduler in Agency Express to select WEDNESDAY, 11/27/24
FRIDAY PICK UP & DELIVERY APPOINTMENTS Use the scheduler in Agency Express to select MONDAY, 12/2/24
PLEASE VIEW THE ADJUSTED ONLINE ORDERING SCHEDULE FOR THE UPCOMING DATES:
Scheduled pick up & delivery appointments
When to place your online order in agency express
WEDNESDAY, 11/27/24
Friday, 11/22/24 @ 5 p.m. -
Monday, 11/25/24 @ 12 p.m.
MONDAY, 12/2/24
Monday, 11/25/24 @ 5 p.m.
Tuesday, 11/26/24 @ 12 p.m.
TUESDAY, 12/3/24
Tuesday, 11/26/24 @ 5 p.m. -
Wednesday, 11/27/24 @12 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, 11/27/24
Friday, 11/29/24 @ 5 p.m.
Monday, 12/2/24 @12 p.m.
If you have any questions or need a different PICK UP or DELIVERY date, please contact a member of the Agency Relations Team As soon as possible. Thank you!
Click on the button to review the ordering schedule for the closure date and plan accordingly.
We would like to know more about your agency's plan for Thanksgiving distributions and meal services. If you have already filled out this form, thank you. If you have not yet filled out this form, please fill out the following form regarding your holiday activities for the community.
We understand that some agencies will be in need of turkeys in addition to the six cases (24 total turkeys) of donated turkeys. For this reason, we have also sourced Shop Smart & Save (SSS) turkeys for agencies to purchase. Please complete the following form to request an order of Shop Smart & Save (SSS) turkeys for 2024 distributions. Since we will have a limited number of cases of Turkey incoming this year, we are taking pre-order requests according to the time stamp on the form submission. Please note that filling out this form does not guarantee that we have the inventory to accommodate your request. The Agency Relations team will let you know if your request will be honored based on the number of cases available.
It is our pleasure to announce that Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry is the Agency of the Month for November 2024! SCVFP’s exceptional work and dedication to the community do not go unnoticed. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! We value your partnership and look forward to continued collaboration.
Best Practices Highlight
Creating a successful food pantry involves more than just distributing food; it's about building a dedicated team and establishing streamlined systems for sorting and distribution. Key ingredients for success include setting clear eligibility guidelines to ensure fairness, adhere to compliance policies, and to engage your community with clear communication. It’s also wise to implement an effective inventory management system to keep track of resources. Most importantly, it's essential to uphold client dignity while adhering to food safety procedures and good hygiene practices. These principles are vital to not only achieving positive outcomes but also exemplifying the best practices of a food pantry.
For your convenience, we have included a guide to Best Practices for a Food Pantry, designed to serve as a valuable resource for your efforts.
Dried cranberries are a delicious way to celebrate the holidays, plus a great source of antioxidants, beneficial for your urinary tract health and loaded with Vitamin C. Swap out the traditional cranberry sauce this season and try one of these festive recipes!
Pro tip: Pumpkin seeds are another festive ingredient that work for both recipes!
For many people, the task of chopping onions can be daunting and tedious. Learning proper knife handling and safety can help to not only elevate your dishes but improve your confidence in the kitchen. Use the following resources and give it a try the next time you conquer chopping onions or any other food.
At our 2024 All Agencies Conference, the Agency Relations Team hosted vendors looking to assist agencies with additional services and resources. While the Food Bank does not specifically endorse any of these vendors, we find that they may be helpful to agencies to make connections with these types of organizations. Once of which, The FLOW, would like to provide agencies with additional information below:
The Flow was founded in 2017 to combat period poverty and stigma by providing education about a new menstrual product - menstrual cups - and donating them. We have donated over 12,000 menstrual cups to 100+ partner organizations throughout LA County + beyond and are excited to be partnering with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and its partners. It was great to meet some of you at the August Conference and to already be planning presentations at some of your sites. We hope to serve your communities with new information and tools that can help women and girls experience their periods with dignity. Please reach out to us!
Click on the link below to view policy updates from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s policy team on recent state and federal anti-hunger legislation and programs.
TEFAP participating agencies are required to register and obtain the Unique Entity Identification through SAM.gov. Agencies that have not completed the request will not be placed on hold as of now. However, your agency must be actively working towards obtaining the required unique entity identification.
All agencies must apply for their own Unique Entity Identification, even if your agency is part of a 501(c)3 umbrella i.e. SDA’s, Catholic Conference, Salvation Army, etc.
Remember when requesting your agency’s UEI to use the name of your organization and your agency’s address.
If during the validation process, you are required to submit the date of incorporation and state of incorporation. These can be found by searching your agency’s full business name on the Secretary of State Business website (https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business)
Once your agency has completed the registration, kindly fill out the following LARFB - UEI Agency Form to provide your Unique Entity Identification (UEI). If your agency did not make the record public, please use the LARFB - UEI Agency Form to upload a copy of UEI registration after saving the file and/or taking a screenshot.
This Quick Start Guide is a step by step process on how to register/obtain the Unique Entity Identification.
All TEFAP Agencies will be required to submit their UEI information by December 31, 2024.
Some agencies have already completed the UEI registration process, Thank You! However, we understand that some agencies are having difficulty with the process. Weather you have completed the process or not, please share your feedback on what was helpful to you and what you still may be having trouble with here:
All Food Bank agencies have signed an agreement detailing their responsibilities while participating in Food Bank programs. Below is a highlight of policies that must be adhered to by all our agency partners. Otherwise, your account may be placed on hold until the concern is resolved.
All Agencies Agree:
Store & Distribute Products Correctly: To ensure that the donated food and other product conforms to any applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (as amended) and any regulations that follow. Agencies must store and distribute food and other product in a manner consistent with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (as amended) and its regulations.
Not to Discriminate: Not to discriminate in the provision of service, against any person because of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sex, sexual orientation including Gender identity, unfavorable discharge from the military or status as a protected veteran.
Civil Rights Training is mandatory training for all staff of volunteers at TEFAP Sites who interact with participants. The Food Bank Agency Relations Team offers this training monthly.
Do you need a refresher course or have new team members who would benefit from learning about online ordering, agency shopping, monthly reporting, or food distribution policies? Please ask all your staff or long-standing volunteers to attend the next virtual Food Bank 101 training!
Refresher for Online Ordering and Monthly Reporting
This refresher training reviews the fundamentals of monthly reporting and online ordering. If you need assistance with your reports, you are welcome to join us in this session to ask any questions you may need answered regarding your reports.
