Additional food for those who need it, advocating for those without a voice, defining government policy at the highest levels, helping people understand who’s hungry in their own community… We know the March HungerCount has been successful at all of these things, so what impact could it have if we were able to do it all year long?
After narrowing down countless advantages, we’ve found the top five ways year-round HungerCount reporting in Link2Feed’s food bank software will allow you to have a bigger impact on your clients.
1. Get what you need, when you need it
The more frequently you and the OAFB can report on statistics, the easier it is to respond to your clients’ needs.
When something happens in your community that leads to an increase in food bank users, the OAFB can support you by getting you the resources you require.
With Link2Feed’s HungerCount, the OAFB has the tools to open advocacy platforms by showing direct relationships between life in your community and hunger, 365 days a year.
2. Stay accountable to your donors, sponsors, partners and community
Transparency is often rewarded by supporters and sponsors. By showing HungerCount numbers year-round, these partners, both locally and provincially, can better understand what your needs are and how they can help.
Having accurate, real-time data gives your food bank additional credibility and can help you tell your story in your community.
3. Food bank software helps you respond to changing needs
Life is in constant flux and the needs of your clients can change quickly. Link2Feed’s food bank software keeps your records up-to-date and reporting allows you to help your clients based on what is really happening.
Because HungerCount has been a requirement since 1999, you also have historical reports for comparison to better understand the changing food bank environment, in your location and across Ontario.
4. Food bank software puts a face to hunger
We all know there are countless myths about food bank users, and that you’re working hard to dispel them. Consistently reporting on the HungerCount can help you advocate for clients by answering questions like:
- Are employed people looking for help?
- How many children are accessing the food bank on a month-to-month basis?
- How many two-parent households rely on food bank services?
- How many people coming to the food bank are homeowners?
Being able to report on these HungerCount statistics province-wide, generates a consistent message about hunger across Ontario.
5. The power in numbers
Right now, the OAFB can only use 31 days of food bank activity to make decisions regarding resource allocation, policy and communications for the entire network; a blip on the radar of your year-round hard work.
Just as the yearly national HungerCount, the power in the provincial HungerCount is in the picture created when we all come together.
Using food bank software to make the link
With HungerCount, we can create a story of your community’s needs that can be visualized, recorded and shared…in seconds…all year long.
Using the Link2Feed’s food bank software, the OAFB, your food bank and the community you serve can truly be the difference in how hunger is measured for all 12 months of the year.
So let’s join together, so we can change the lives of food bank users across the province, one link at a time.