"Best Practices" Manual For
Food Recovery and Gleaning

         Participating Schools

Tulsa Public School District
Tulsa, Oklahoma

          A volunteer group of Tulsa Public Schools cafeteria staff from 10 sites who participated in the Food Recovery project gave their program a name and designed a logo for it! They named it the S.H.A.R.E. Program, which stands for "Schools Helping Advance the Redistribution of Edibles." Among their primary goals were the desires to be a part of the solution in the fight against hunger and to provide their student population with every possible experience to become active community members. The Tulsa Public Schools partnered with the Tulsa Community Food Bank, who received the recovered school food as an expansion of their established Table to Table program.

          The S.H.A.R.E. food recovery activities were performed primarily by school cafeteria staff, who were all trained in the HACCP system of food safety and self-inspection. Under HACCP, which stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, one looks at the flow of food production and handling from recipe development to eventual consumption to ensure the safety of the product. In addition to their safe, reliable food transfer system, the Food Bank employees and volunteers provided invaluable packing and storing experience to cafeteria staff and students as the new program got underway.

          To minimize questions, confusion, and potential food safety problems about recovering unused food, the staff made up a detailed list of foods that could not be recovered for future use. The bottom line on the list is: "If in doubt, throw it out." They designed a form for keeping detailed records of each food item stored, in what amount, date stored, at what temperature, and the date picked up. Another form was designed for delivery use, listing recipient agency, food item, date, and temperature, as well as the pans and lids used. Detailed procedures were written for collection of perishable food from schools before the Christmas holiday and at the end of the school year. Students participated in the sorting and packing of food during holiday food drives and rode along in the refrigerated trucks delivering leftover cafeteria food to the Food Bank.

          In cooperation with the Tulsa Community Food Bank, the Tulsa Public Schools S.H.A.R.E. Program used some of their USDA funds to purchase additional food recovery supplies, transport pans, labeling supplies, and wrapping materials for start-up activities. These supplies were purchased by the schools through the Food Bank at discounted prices. About 40% of the USDA funds were used to train the students and cafeteria staff, pay for delivery truck gas, the driver’s salary, and for printing and marketing efforts. The majority of USDA funds was spent on marketing activities which included the production, design and printing of a spiral book and production of a CD-ROM describing the project. Additionally, funds were used for the development of "A Hunger and Nutrition Curriculum for Elementary School Students." The curriculum was made available to teachers throughout the public school district, and in April 1999 the classroom education component of the curriculum was implemented. Tulsa Public Schools Public Information Department produced a short television spot highlighting the S.H.A.R.E. program and the partnership forged between the schools and the Tulsa Community Food Bank. The video was broadcast on the Tulsa Public School television channel.

          The S.H.A.R.E. program received the 1998 Partnership Award from the Tulsa Community Food Bank at an appreciation banquet in the spring of 1999. Additionally, the students formed a Student Leadership Advisory Group and were instrumental in developing a community service brochure, which was distributed by the Food Bank to area secondary schools.

          As a result of the S.H.A.R.E. activities, 4,000 pounds of food are being recovered every month from the 20 participating schools, translating into approximately 3,500 meals for needy individuals and families. According to Joe Reger, then Director of Child Nutrition for the Tulsa Public Schools, "This project has enabled us to pick up additional supplies and packaging. We’re setting up a program that will have a long-term impact."

          The Tulsa project is an excellent example of close cooperation between community groups, including the City/County Health Department.