What Does a Neighborhood Coordinator (NC) Do?

What does a Neighborhood Coordinator (NC) do?

It’s amazingly simple. You just organize a small group of neighbors to be Food Donors. Each donor gets a reusable green Food Project bag in which to store food. Every two months you pick up their full bag, leave them an empty one, and bring all the bags you collect to the Napa Food Bank where our volunteers receive it. You also send out two reminders to your donors so they don’t forget the pickup date. That’s all there is to it.

How much food will people donate?

We suggest Donors buy one extra nonperishable food item each week at the grocery store, but it’s really up to them. Some folks donate a lot, some a little. The amount isn't important. As long as they’re participating, the NFP is a success.

How much time does being an NC involve?

After your initial 90-minute training, you'll probably put in three to four hours as you build your neighborhood. Once that's done, it's only a couple of hours every other month! A surprisingly small time commitment, considering how big a difference you’ll be making.

How do I pick the area that’s MY neighborhood?

Within some limits,your “neighborhood” is wherever you say it is It’s as big or small as you want it to be: a few houses, a whole street, or several blocks. One of the benefits of being an NC is that you’ll wind up with a better sense of where you live and who your neighbors are. So pick an area that you want to know better. You can start small and expand your neighborhood over time.A "neighborhood" might also be your office or faith-based group. The most important thing is for you to feel comfortable with the area you pick.

How do I build a Neighborhood?

Two ways: 1) ask neighbors you already know to join the Food Project, and/or 2) canvass your neighborhood. Most NCs start by asking nearby friends and acquaintances. When they’re ready, they start knocking on a few doors—which is a great way to get to know neighbors.

For some people canvassing can be a bit scary at first. We'll help!We’ve got a script you can use, printed materials, a badge, answers to FAQs, and a lot more. We’ll even do some canvassing in your neighborhood with you, if you want.

When is Pickup Day?

Our “official” pickup day is the 2nd Saturday of each even month (Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec). But the NFP is set up to give you as much freedom as possible. If you'd prefer to pickup green bags Friday night because you're coaching soccer Saturday, just let your Food Donors know. If you’ll be out-of-town on the official pickup day, we can help make it work.

What happens on Pickup Day?

Food Donors put their green bags out by theirfront door. You pick up each bag, leave an empty one with a “Thank You” card (which we’ll supply), and take the food to the Napa Food Bank, (1766 Industrial Way) between 9:30AMand noon. Our volunteers will be there to accept and weigh donations and resupply you with cards and bags. Within a few days of the pickup, we'll email you with the weight of donations we brought in so you can let your Food Donors know the incredible impact their work is having.

That’s it. As you meet more neighbors and other NCs, your sense of community will grow, and it will add as much to your life as you will be adding to others’ lives. It’s something to look forward to.