June 15, 2010

Customer Service Survey 2010: Client Frequency

Author: Brady Koch

We’ve just completed our Customer Service Survey of our 600+ partner feeding programs. We use this tool to evaluate our service to the feeding programs who access our warehouse. It helps us make certain that we’re acting as good stewards to all of the donations that the community provides to us.

There was so much participation, that the amount of data we have to sort through is amazing. Over the next couple of blog entries, I’ll share with you some of the results of our survey so that everyone can benefit from the project.

When a new agency joins the food bank they often times ask how often they should distribute food. We encourage these new feeding programs to contact some of our veteran partner agencies to find a distribution frequency that is best for them.

We would hope that all of our partners have a sustainability plan that makes certain that they are able to fight hunger in the long run. Overall we encourage them to set some kind of limit so as not to overburden your volunteers and budgets.

Here’s what the results of our survey told us:

Question 4a: How often can clients come to your pantry?

Once per month                      38%
Once per week                        23%
Twice per month                      12%
As Needed                              10%
Once every two months             4%
Other                                      13%

Look for more survey results in the coming weeks.

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs

September 14, 2009

A Local Look at the 2009 Economic Impact Results

Author: Brady Koch

This morning Feeding America, the national organization that coordinates the efforts of 205 food banks throughout the nation, released the 2009 Economic Impact Survey results. This survey was presented to food banks, their partner agencies, and the clients served at these agencies. Sadly, the overall findings aren’t shocking. With a recession and rising unemployment, the demand for hunger relief in America is growing at an alarming rate.

The demand for food has grown an estimated 30% nationally. More than half (55%) of food banks reported that they or the agencies who help distribute the food they provide have had to turn people away in the last year. These national numbers mirror those collected in Central Florida by our local food pantries and soup kitchens.

In my position with the food bank I get to see these statistics embodied on a daily basis. I can attest that 98% of our agencies are seeing first-time clients and that 56% of our agencies are seeing large increases in children needing hunger relief. Ultimately, I also witness the sobering fact that 78% of partner agencies on the national level have had to reduce the amount of food provided or the frequency of food distributions in their community.

Absolutely every one of the volunteers and staff at our 539 partner feeding programs has the passion to fight hunger. Lately the need has been relentless and our partners haven be working, stretching and digging deep to provide for their community. It is an honor to partner with nonprofits and faith-based operations that give so much and ask for nothing in return.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida was able to provide over 21 million lbs of food to local pantries and kitchens last year and as is evident in the survey results, we need to provide more. Hunger has a solution, and we would like you to be a part of it. Please contact me to learn more about ways you can help fight hunger in Central Florida.

Brady Koch
Director of Agency Relations & Programs
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
407.295.1066 ext. 30
bkoch@foodbankcentralflorida.org