Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—John van Hengel, Network Awards & Retiree Recognition Luncheon

Join us for a celebratory luncheon to recognize CEOs from across the network who will be retiring this year and present network awards, including the announcement of this year's John van Hengel Fellow. We will also hear remarks from the 2023 John van Hengel Fellow, Susannah Morgan, Oregon Food Bank.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024 Opening Session: Welcome to Las Vegas & Fireside Chat with Claire Babineaux-Fontenot

Welcome to Las Vegas! Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot will deliver welcome remarks to officially kick off the start of the Annual Conference. During the Fireside Chat, the network leaders on the panel will share how they have engaged the diverse voices of neighbors and communities in their work to do better. Panelists will give examples of how the work at their organizations has changed over time given input from neighbors and the lessons they have learned along the way.

Webinar Training

State SNAP Policy Training Series: SNAP Access for Immigrants

One of the biggest structural weaknesses that limits SNAP’s effectiveness in combating hunger is the statutory exclusion of some non-citizens, including many legal immigrants. As Network members well know, this exclusion often means that food banks are the last line of defense against hunger in immigrant communities. The goal of this SNAP policy training is to provide a foundational understanding of SNAP’s immigrant eligibility policy, including the legislative history that resulted in such a complex set of rules and restrictions. Network members will learn strategies for dispelling common myths and misconceptions about immigrant eligibility for SNAP and hear about state-level strategies to increase access for excluded immigrant populations.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Modern Strategies and Innovation in Equity

When hearing the words equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) one may think of concepts such as fairness and equal access to opportunity, respect for others in accepting and welcoming environments, employee voice, belonging, and dignity. However, these concepts materialize in different ways and varying contexts. Network partner food banks are already doing equity work and are eager to offer insight into how they apply EDI knowledge and solutions in different situations for successful outcomes. The panelists are food banking practitioners who will share honest, genuine insights they have learned over time in this space. This panel of industry thought leaders will share expert insights and perspectives on how to build strategies to navigate the shifting landscape of equity work. They will share with you the details of how they work, where they have had to pivot and change direction, and how to achieve results. By attending, you will gain insight into how network partner food banks are addressing and achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion in real-time at their organizations. You will also gain valuable strategic insights and practical takeaways from the discussion to inform your own EDI initiatives and responses to the evolving environment and help guide your organization to long-term success.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Engaging Grassroots Supporters to Help Catalyze a Movement to End Hunger

Building and mobilizing a strong grassroots base is a vital element of catalyzing the movement to end hunger—but what does that look like in practice? Join us for a session where we’ll highlight the efforts happening across the Feeding America network to bring neighbors, allied organizations, and community supporters working together to build a grassroots army. Panelists will share stories and best practices for engaging diverse stakeholders to increase grassroots support for neighbor-led policy solutions on issues ranging from hunger to transportation. In discussion groups, session participants will brainstorm about how to apply best practices within their service areas.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Transformative Sourcing Strategies to Advance Community Impact

In line with our core values of Neighbor Centricity, Equity, and Better Together, this session will delve into the ongoing national efforts that embody our network priorities, focusing on establishing and strengthening connections between food banks and local, systemically marginalized farmers and producers. In the spirit of Expanding Equitable Food Access and Enhancing Food Sourcing & Sharing, we will explore how federal and state support, along with regional food system funding, is integral to fostering these vital links. This session will showcase impactful partnerships from across our network that create access to local and culturally preferred food and support sustainable local food systems. CEOs and food bank leaders responsible for food sourcing, programs and community impact are invited to attend this session to engage in a discussion about how we can continue to prioritize these efforts across the network. During this interactive session, we will highlight the voices of both food bank staff and BIPOC growers/producers who are leveraging the purchasing power of the food bank network to create a more equitable food system.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Integrating Strategies for Housing and Food Security: A Multidimensional Approach to Eviction Prevention and Nutritional Access

This session is for Chief Strategy and Innovation Officers, Program Officers and policy influencers and experts who share a common commitment to unraveling the complex tapestry of challenges at the intersection of housing instability and food insecurity. We will draw attention to the fact that eviction rates are on the rise and the ripple effects extend far beyond housing. Black and Latinx renters in general, and women in particular, are disproportionately threatened with eviction and evicted from their homes and they are disproportionately affected by hunger. We will explore research from the Eviction Lab on the connections between evictions and decreased SNAP participation, showcase innovative strategies from food banks who are supporting neighbors in ways that allow them to stay in their homes and emphasize the importance of engaging in advocacy efforts supporting policies that prevent evictions and address housing affordability. Join us as we aim to create a future where eviction and hunger are addressed comprehensively, ensuring that no individual or family faces the harrowing choice between keeping a roof over their heads and putting food on the table.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Native/Tribal Landscape Assessment Report Highlights

The session will feature the highlights from the Native/Tribal Landscape Assessment Report, a year-long project that was completed in July 2023 featuring important data and a narrative of how Feeding America and the network have been serving and partnering with Native and Tribal communities. Mark Ford from Feeding America will co-present the findings and significant learnings with Kelly Gibson and Matt Ehlman with the Numad Group (the consultant organization who created the report). The session will highlight the voices and experiences of the 42 food banks and 12 Native/tribal communities that participated in interviews that were used to help create the report as well as the data and statistics that are unique to this report and can be helpful for Feeding America and the network to use in strengthening partnerships with Native/tribal nations. The session will also provide an opportunity for session participants to discuss the learnings from the report in small group discussions and provide insight on how this report can better support stronger partnerships with Native/tribal communities across the network. After this session, participants will be able to have a greater understanding of how some of our food banks are approaching partnerships with Native/tribal communities, what are the challenges, successes and opportunities that exist to better support local food access and food sovereignty initiatives in Native nations.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Member Data Sharing: Data Supporting Operational Excellence

Looking to improve your operational efficiencies? Join this demo to learn/hear/uncover ease of sharing your data, insights your data can bring and future of the member data sharing program. After this session, you will be able to confidently sign up for the member data sharing program (partner agreement) and use the dashboards with your teams to gain insights into operational efficiencies and effectiveness.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Choice Reimagined Project: The Future of Sharing

In recent years, the network has expanded capacity and added new capabilities to source, handle and share food. Join peers from across the network to learn about exciting work happening with mixing center pilots, regional cooperatives working on innovative Boundless Collaboration projects, successful sharing clusters, protein pack rooms with new automation, and see demos of the “frictionless” sharing tool on MealConnect. We are at an important inflection point as a network. With our new partner food bank agreement, we have the opportunity to collaborate and coordinate our work to efficiently source and share more food and reduce operating costs. Bring your ideas to this interactive session to help the build food sourcing and operations strategies that can shape the future of our supply chain.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Maximizing Regional Food Sharing

In recent years, the network has expanded capacity and added new capabilities to source, handle and share food. Join peers from across the network to learn about exciting work happening with mixing center pilots, regional cooperatives working on innovative Boundless Collaboration projects, successful sharing clusters, protein pack rooms with new automation, and see demos of the “frictionless” sharing tool on MealConnect. We are at an important inflection point as a network. With our new partner food bank agreement, we have the opportunity to collaborate and coordinate our work to efficiently source and share more food and reduce operating costs. Bring your ideas to this interactive session to help the build food sourcing and operations strategies that can shape the future of our supply chain.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Redefining Poverty

How do you define poverty? This interactive session will explore poverty from 3 different dimensions: Material poverty, social poverty and spiritual poverty. Derek Cook, Director of the Canadian Poverty Institute and author of The Art of Hope: Healing the Wounded City, will take learners on a journey to gain a deeper understanding through the voice of those experiencing poverty, scarcity, fear, vulnerability, trust and healing. After this session, learners will leave with a wholistic view of poverty, shifting the way we think and talk about poverty, and ultimately what we will DO to about poverty.

Webinar Training

Insights into Feeding America’s Promising Workforce Development Models

The workforce development virtual learning sessions are aimed at assisting food banks in leveraging workforce development strategies. These sessions will focus on sharing learnings, promising practices, as well as providing access to resources and tools to support food banks in their efforts.

Webinar Training

Annual Conference 2024—Harnessing Strength-Based Communication: A Path to Unified Action in the Movement to End Hunger

This session is for food bank leadership, fundraising, advocacy, marketing and communications professionals who are interested in implementing the transformative power of last year’s keynote speaker Trabian Shorters’ Asset-Framing framework and/or strength-based communication practices within their organization. In this engaging session, you will:

• Uncover the principles of strength-based communication and its impact on engaging and building relationships with neighbors, partners and the public in our shared mission
• Hear real-world examples from partner food banks on how strength-based communication can amplify impact
  
• Explore practical strategies to implement strength-based practices in your communication, including how to elevate neighbor and community voices in strength, partnership and power.
  

After this session, you’ll be equipped with practical tools to implement strength-based strategies within your organization, resulting in a more unified effort toward centering neighbors in the movement to end hunger.

Webinar Training

Network Fundraising Projections Model Overview & Demo

This video includes an overview and demonstration of the Fundraising Projections Model. Check out the Fundraising Projections Model Details and Workbook in the Revenue Strategy & Budgeting Toolkit.

Webinar Training

Member Grants 101

Webinar Training

Healthcare Partnership Project Reset

Webinar Training

The Link2Feed Technology User Group 2024 Meetings

The Link2Feed Technology User Group is a learning and problem-solving group open to all food banks currently or interested in contracting with Link2Feed for Service Insights implementation. 

Webinar Training

FY24 Midyear Network Leadership Call

The midyear call shared updates from the first half of the Feeding America national organization’s fiscal year (July-December 2023). It is a chance to connect on progress to date on key measures, including demand, food sourcing, fundraising, grantmaking and legislative priorities. We also heard more about the National Council’s 2024 work plan and the Network Strategic Framework.

Webinar Training

Combating Bad SNAP Bills: 2024 Edition

This updated training focuses on threats to SNAP eligibility, access, and equity from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) and similar anti-SNAP lobbying groups active in state capitals around the country. Training participants will gain a deep understanding of the most effective data, messaging, and advocacy strategies to challenge misinformation, stereotyping and scapegoating at the heart of these anti-SNAP campaigns.