First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt THANK YOU to all our dedicated volunteers this past summer. Your patience and support during a time of significant adjustments to our food order distribution process were truly remarkable.
As our mission to serve families continues to GROW, HCCM has found itself faced with a critical decision: should we extend our food pantry hours or shorten our appointment times? After conducting a survey, we made the choice to shorten our appointment times. We transitioned from scheduling appointments every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes, excluding emergencies (first-time visitors) and daily Community Cupboard visitors. However, it became evident quite quickly that 10 minutes simply did not provide sufficient time to fulfill food orders. Thank you for the continuous communication and feedback from all of you. We listened, and in response, we are reverting to our previous schedule of appointments every 15 minutes.
Following a thorough survey of our client base, we discovered that more than half of our members are categorized as Food Only recipients. You may be wondering, what distinguishes a Full Service HCCM member from a Food Only member?
Full-Service Members engage with our dedicated case managers, complete the HCCM application, and complete the required USDA form. They also provide documentation of eligibility, which includes meeting criteria for serving area, household size, and experiencing a financial crisis. Our case managers
work diligently through a budget worksheet to identify additional needs, potentially offering financial assistance, and identifying areas where cost savings may be achieved. Furthermore, our case managers provide referrals to various resources, such as medical, mental health, and financial assistance. It's important to note that you do NOT have to be considered "poor" to become an HCCM member. Life circumstances, such as job loss or time spent in the hospital, often bring our members to us temporarily, seeking a helping hand to regain their footing. The food we provide can save a family anywhere from $350 to over $700 per month, depending on their family size. Just think about what you could do with an additional $350 each month!
On the other hand, Food Only clients complete applications and sign the necessary USDA form without requiring proof of crisis or eligibility. HCCM extends its services beyond food provision, offering personal hygiene items, detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, baby food/baby formula, diapers and seasonal holiday meals as part of the "food order".
Starting on Monday, October 2nd, Food Only clients will continue to receive food, but they will receive a prepacked box of dry goods (excluding produce, dairy, or frozen items) during their next appointment via curbside service. If you volunteered during the COVID pandemic when we adopted curbside operations, this will feel familiar to you. Additionally, Food Only clients and HCCM members can visit the Community Cupboard once a day, Monday - Friday, to access produce, bread, dairy, or frozen items, as supplies permit. Don't forget about our Fresh Food for All distributions at 10 locations throughout Williamson and NW Travis counties. We have been providing notices to all HCCM Food Only clients over the past few weeks, and this outreach will continue for the next month.
This year, HCCM aims to serve OVER 100,000 people. We are working tirelessly to meet this growing demand, even in the face of supply shortages and significant infrastructure challenges, such as parking and building limitations.
Kandy Chimento, Director of Program Services, will provide updates to all pantry and cupboard shifts during the week of September 18th. If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to me. You can reach me at [email protected] or 512-259-0360 x204. Once again, thank you ALL so much for what you do. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate ALL of you and your hard work!!
