ONT Up Close - The Supply Chain

NOTE: This article is the first in a series of stories to be produced by VOICE to give our volunteers a closer look at ONT’s operations. If you have ideas for future articles, contact [email protected].

Members of the VOICE team recently met with Amber Pittenger Tillson, Associate Director of Food Programs, and Dan Jackman, Warehouse Supervisor, to learn more about the market supply chain at ONT. Topics for discussion came from our interest in learning more about how food and other products that we offer to our guests are sourced and chosen.

Where does ONT get the food and products for our markets?

• The bulk of our products are sourced from the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB). We get deliveries on Mondays and Fridays and we pick up ourselves on Thursdays. On average, we get 8,000 pounds on Monday, 7,000 on Thursday, and 4,000 on Friday. Our totals for a month vary between 76,000 and 96,000 pounds, depending on the number of Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays in the month. On top of this, when there is space on the truck, we can get another full pallet of a single item (this is known as the “full pallet program”).
• GBFB supplies most of our shelf-stable items (such as canned goods), frozen food and produce. The produce is occasionally seasonal, but generally ONT gets items in the season after they are typically fresh in regular markets. (This accounts for the shorter shelf life we often experience with some produce items.

We also get regular contributions/donations from the following sources:

• Amazon - dry goods & Amazon ‘fresh’ 
• Stop & Shop
• Annarosa’s Bakery
• Walmart
• Otto’s 
• DiLuigi Foods

There is an ongoing effort to identify additional sources for food donations. We have had past success with companies like Cedar’s who donated a large amount of hummus. ONT is seeking new opportunities to get large quantities of items such as the recent delivery of spices and similar items from a local organization. As we look to grow the donor base by adding companies like BJ’s, ONT needs to consider how well these relationships scale. It is difficult to manage donations that contain a wide assortment of items of varied quantities versus large quantities of single items.

What does Amazon contribute?

• We currently have 2 pick-ups/week. One for dry goods and another for Amazon “fresh.”
• The items and quantities of each pick-up vary from week to week but include shelf-stable grocery items, beverages, pet products, and fresh, perishable grocery items.
• ​The donations average 6000 lbs. each. (We’ve received over 70,000 lbs. from Amazon this year to date.)

Our relationship with Amazon is evolving but should be a stable source of food for the foreseeable future. This partnership has been facilitated by the GBFB. We started with just Amazon “dry” and have recently started receiving Amazon “fresh.” As some of you have experienced, the donations from Amazon “fresh” are part of a food rescue effort and the shelf life on some of the items is limited. 
ONT’s warehouse team is learning how to manage these new deliveries and ensure that they are distributed to our 2 markets as quickly and efficiently as possible. Amesbury is more space constrained than Salisbury as the influx of new items to that market needs to share the same market and storage space as our normal ‘staples’.

What items are bought by ONT?

• Milk (Garelick Farms)
• Bread (LaMarca Bakery)
• Toilet Paper (Amazon)
• Diapers (Amazon)
• Miscellaneous holiday items - i.e. for Thanksgiving
• Supplies like bags, market hardware, etc.
  

​The food budget is fully funded at the moment and no cuts are anticipated in the near future. ONT also received a $10,000 grant from GBFB, which will be used to support Thanksgiving supplies. There were no budget decreases from the prior year - in fact, some budget items have increased. Also, the mortgage for Salisbury and the Seacoast Regional Food Hub has had no impact on our food budget.

It is worth noting that our weight limits with GBFB don’t necessarily fluctuate with demand. We are more limited by the space in the trucks that carry our deliveries. Also, the GBFB deliveries to the hub often carry food for other agencies on their routes.

How much do we spend on these products per month?

• Dairy - $5,540 ($6,982 for a five week month) 
• Bread - $2,700 ($3,345 for a five week month)
• Toilet Paper - $1,500
• Diapers -$1,500

​Over the course of a year these purchases can amount to approximately $150,000.
(NOTE: ONT has been getting eggs from GBFB this year for free but that is subject to change.)

This year the summer lunch program was cancelled. Why? Do you foresee the program returning in the future?
Amber noted that this was ultimately a budget decision, however, we (ONT) also recognized flaws in the program. It was always a big lift for the staff and volunteers, especially due to the added “policing” that was required for the summer lunch items. 
Moving forward, ONT envisions shifting how we procure and stock markets on a seasonal basis, for example, procuring kid-friendly snacks and lunch items such as string cheese, yogurt and sandwich ingredients during the summer months. In fact, based on the recent optional survey that was completed by guest families with children, ONT has purchased suggested food such as hot dogs, frozen ravioli, and jelly that will be offered in the coming weeks. 
Additionally, ONT will be moving toward a more “targeted” food drive approach, which will highlight our greatest needs based on the season. Right now, for instance, we are asking food drives to focus on kid-friendly snacks and juice boxes. 

(This interview was conducted and summarized by Jonathan Oski with editing assistance from Rita Comtois.)