Food Gatherers, a food rescue and distribution group, supplies food to subsidize the poor and jobless throughout Washtenaw County, Michigan. They supply food to 150 different organizations which provide over 7,000 meals a day to local families, all through the generosity of a meager 300 donors.
Now, as you can see from your local markets, prices on food have gone up. Combined with the struggling economy, that left Food Gatherers in need of some crisis management, and fast. After a study, funded by the United Way and several community foundations, they determined some effective ways to subsidize the programs. A recent University of Michigan web article gives a couple examples:
* A Summer Feeding Program for kids that was funded by the USDA through the Michigan Department of Education, Con-Agra, and Idol Gives Back (yes, that “idol,” as in American Idol’s charitable foundation);
* A “Shopper’s Pantry” where nonprofit agencies that partner with Food Gatherers can pick up food for their programs, and either turn it into meals that they serve to their clients or distribute it directly to households that create their own meals;
* A local women’s correctional facility that grows beautiful produce, such as tomatoes and cantaloupes, that can be distributed to the needy on the day they’re picked (other “grow your own” plans are in the works).
This type of effective crisis response is critical in hard times. If Food Gatherers had let things be, thousands of families would be going hungry right this moment. Now, an issue like this could strike any business. Supply lines can be interrupted by the economy, weather, or a myriad of other factors. These risks mean that alternate and supplemental supply sources should be an integral part of any crisis prevention plan, otherwise a disaster could bring your business to a standstill.
JB
Jonathan Bernstein
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com