Food Pantry Reporting and Client Data Management – $1,000

The Community Foundation of Teton Valley was honored to award this grant to the Teton Valley Food Pantry. The application was particularly valuable because it addressed two important areas; client information security and staff/volunteer capacity. The Community Foundation recognized, with the addition of this software, that client information would be safe and secure and that Teton Valley Food Pantry staff and volunteers would spend less time entering and sorting data on antiquated spreadsheets and more time servicing its mission.
Individuals and families in Teton Valley encounter financial hardships, set-backs and challenges attributable to many factors: the economy, government policies, employment, climate, the environment, natural disasters, socio-economic and population changes. The challenges associated with seasonal employment, living on a limited income, housing costs, an unanticipated car repair, high utility bills, growing families, medical bills or the cost of school supplies and education can seriously impact a family’s ability to meet their most basic needs. The Teton Valley Food Pantry supports individuals and families with these challenges and more.
Since its inception in 2008, the Teton Valley Food Pantry has been dependent on the generous time, resources, and donations that support the ongoing growth, economic changes, and diverse population in Teton Valley. The Food Pantry serves residents of Teton Valley, Idaho, this includes Driggs, Victor, Tetonia, and Felt, Idaho plus Alta, Wyoming, and areas of Wyoming located west of the Tetons. Teton Valley is highly reliant on tourism and agriculture for employment – both of which are seasonal and result in income gaps for many families. The availability of affordable housing and transportation is a challenge for many residents and the geographic location of Teton Valley increases the cost of food as well as other basic needs.
In 2019, the Teton Valley Food Pantry served over 1,000 families and 2,500 individuals in need of food. Recently, the Food Pantry has increased its hours of operation from 4.5 hours to 20 to 25 hours per week in order to better serve and assist its clients. Theirs is a mission where the service they provide comes back full circle when their former clients give back to others in need and are able to gain independence, stability, and self-confidence.
This grant will assist the Teton Valley Food Pantry with the procurement and implementation of a service insight technology software to assist with the overall the management of food bank operations. Integrity of data, security and client confidentiality are critical missionobjectives.
Historically, client information and data had been managed using Excel spreadsheets which are cumbersome and prone to error. Teton Valley Food Pantry currently tracks over 1,000 line-items with client and household information, tracking all pantry visits each month by week, time of day, number of household members, and age categories. State/federal requirements add parameters for reporting that with current capabilities must be tracked, sorted, assessed, and reported. Additionally, federal and state funded programs require the completion of client applications and support forms which include Personally Identifiable Information (PII) subject to confidentiality restrictions and which add additional security and confidentiality requirements of client data and information management. The ability to accurately capture data related to government requirements, client use, requested demographics, nutritional needs, and inventory are all critical to its mission and ability to provide a responsive, quality food pantry to Teton Valley.
The Community Foundation of Teton Valley is pleased that the Teton Valley Food Pantry will be purchasing specific software to manage food pantry operations and reporting. The ability to accurately address federal and state reporting, client confidentiality, and internal data management is critical to its ability to effectively, legally, and efficiently operate. We are happy to support the Teton Valley Food Pantry in these important aspects of its operations.