Interfaith’s Food Shelf: a Growing Need, a Growing Team

At Interfaith’s food shelf, the team – and the community demand – is growing. 

Al Farha serves as Interfaith’s Food Shelf Operations Leader, a new role that he began in August. “This job offers me the opportunity to make a difference and to build something,” he says.

With experience in supply chain management at Best Buy and Fingerhut, Al brings important skills to the food shelf where your donated dollars are maximized, and essential items are stocked based on demand.

Working together, Al and Food Shelf Manager Andy Swerine have created new processes for managing inventory.  One process focuses on improving how food shelf goods are organized and stored. This keeps it simple for whomever is working at the food shelf, largely volunteers.

“The goal is to keep products visible, so we want to organize it so that if a volunteer needs to get something for a guest, they can find it [quickly],” Al explains.

Another process involved building a model that tracks on-hand inventory and how much inventory the food shelf distributes weekly, by item. Using the inventory data, the team can determine what to buy and how much.

“Funds are limited,” Al acknowledges, “so we use those dollars in the best way we can to meet clients’ needs.”

Along with the numerical details, the team adapts as needed based on anecdotal insight and shoppers’ requests.  

“Data and statistics don’t always tell the whole story,” notes Andy. “As Al often says, ‘Looking at this data requires you look at them with both your head and your heart.’”   

One example of feedback-based change is the conclusion that the food shelf home delivery program needs to be expanded by 50% to meet the current needs of our community’s homebound clients.  

This improvement will rely on process optimization along with expanding Interfaith’s volunteer base. The Food Shelf operates with six to seven volunteer drivers every week, and Al and Andy hope to add more to the schedule soon.  

“I love working with individuals who are truly invested and passionate believers in our mission,” says Al. “It is incredibly rewarding to witness daily the positive impact Interfaith has on our community.” 

Learn more about volunteer opportunities here or support the food shelf’s operations by making an online donation today.