So how does it work?

 The morning volunteers receive the “volunteer tote” which contains:

 - Master list of the vendors at the market

– 50 large reusable bags
– Dry erase markers
– A fish scale (for weighing the produce at the end of the day)

 Their job is to distribute the bags to each vendor and to write down the vendors name on a tag on each bag. They will also have information sheets to explain the network to new vendors to answer any questions they may have.

 There are usually between 30 and 45 vendors depending on the season, so this process will take about 90 minutes, at the most.

As the market concludes the vendors will decide what products they would like to donate, and will leave their bags at their stations with the donated products.

The afternoon volunteers arrive as the market is concluding and will receive the volunteer box that contains:

 - Donation form

– Scale

 These volunteers go to each vendors station after they’ve packed up and pick up the bags with donated products. After picking up the bags, they weigh each bag, and record the pounds of product donated on the donation form for each vendor. This is importantbecause each vendor will get an invoice at the end of the season that will help them receive tax exemption for the weight of products donated.

 This process will take about 90 minutes and will not require transportation to any other locations.

  After the products have been weighed, the Salvation Army’s Hope Center volunteers, or another participating food pantry will arrive to take the bags to be processed and distributed to other area food pantries.

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