Germantown, Maryland, United States
Food Delivery Policy
Food Delivery Policy
Germantown HELP, Inc.
Emergency Food Program Delivery Policy
Updated 1/31/22
• Germantown HELP will deliver to a household a maximum of ten times in a 12-month period (not necessarily once a month, but as needed). Additional deliveries may be made, subject to resource availability, if the client has a referral for continued service from a social worker, church, school, other help agency, or has had an on-site interview determining extreme need. COVID-19 NOTE: DURING THE COVID EMERGENCY, WE WILL DELIVER AS OFTEN AS FOOD AND VOLUNTEERS ARE AVAILABLE. Clients with a recent delivery may not be served immediately.
• It is preferred that clients call 301-482-1320 and leave a message for delivery; but emailing info.gtownhelp@gmail.com is acceptable. Facebook messages may not be received as quickly. If we are unable to reach someone by calling, we may try texting using our texting program. Texting is not a preferred method of reaching us at this time.
• Deliveries are PER HOUSEHOLD, not per family/individual. A person renting a room in a house is not entitled to his own 10 deliveries separate from the deliveries of other requestors in the same household. Germantown HELP does not have the resources to verify who is renting rooms, who has moved, etc.
• Neighbors, relatives, etc., may not call in deliveries for clients, if we can’t speak with the clients directly. We need to verify that the client will be home for delivery. Exception: Caseworkers may refer their clients, if they can verify the client will home during delivery times or we can call the client back directly.
• We strongly prefer to deliver directly to the client or members of their own household, not to neighbors or other family members. Exception: We may deliver directly to a caseworker or school.
• Deliveries will be entered into a database, so they can be sorted by name, phone or address. • Phone volunteers will receive, via email, any waiting messages, a list of any “No Delivery” clients, and all clients who have received deliveries in the last year.
• If a phone volunteer receives more requests in a day than Pantry resources can handle (food, drivers), clients who have been served recently will be called back last. o The client will be informed of this delay (via call or text). This policy may be overridden if the client’s situation is an extreme emergency, to be determined by referral from a social worker, church, school, other help agency, or interview.
• Germantown HELP assists people regardless of race, religion, sex, age, or national origin.
• If a household reports an inconsistent number of residents, inconsistent ages of children, or more client names than number of adults in the household, Germantown HELP may suspend deliveries to that household until an interview or receipt of a Client Information Request Form explains the disparity. o If said Form is not received back within a few weeks, a follow-up phone call or additional Information Request will be made. o Confidentiality of information must be maintained. Germantown HELP is not interested in the legal or immigrant status of its clients.
• A household may have deliveries TERMINATED if
o Someone in the household acts in a drunken, threatening, or erratic manner that alarms a volunteer. o An adult is NOT home to receive the food at the previously agreed time THREE times in a twelve-month period.
o Delivering to the household poses a physical risk to the volunteer or the volunteer’s vehicle.
Appeals: A terminated client may appeal to the Executive Director or the Board in writing (email to info.gtownhelp@gmail.com acceptable) with an explanation of past problems and why we may now deliver again.