Meals by Grace is closely monitoring the status of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We continue to follow the CDC's
most up-to-date recommendations for protecting and managing your health and safety while preparing and delivering food
to our children in need.
Per the Governor's recommendation we will continuing practicing safe health procedures with additional attention to
surface and bodily sanitation. We agree completely with his recommendations to remain calm and make rational decisions
about what you consider a best choice for your family.
That being said, the children and families we serve who depend on the food we deliver will continue to need your help.
With the closing of Forsyth County schools, our community's children need even MORE food. We're doing everything we
can, within our financial ability and product availability, to order additional food/supplies to try to bridge whatever
additional needs arise. We will be leveraging our "break bags" as a supplement to the children's meal needs if schools
close. Please consider an additional financial gift during this time to help offset additional food cost for these meals.
Additionally, we are following all recommended sanitation requests by Midway United Methodist Church, our host church for
our Sunday service day. We will be taking extra measures throughout the day to ensure you stay healthy and safe during
your time serving with us.
Level 1 Preparedness
General
- Keep everyone updated on social media as appropriate regarding any changes or information affecting our
plans/preparedness (extra thanks to MUMC for making additional plans to assist us with the feeding of our
children and more if schools close).
- Change confirmation email to update volunteers about our preparedness measures and caution to stay home if
not feeling well (affirm the children's need and escalation of need if schools close).
- Send text message to every active volunteer registered for a service day reminding them of our preparedness
measures and caution to stay home if not feeling well (affirm the children's need and escalation of need if
schools close).
Sunday Service Day – Forsyth Home Delivery
- Extra attention will be paid to food and general health/safety guidelines from team leads (gentle direction from
team leads if they observe anything that concerns them).
- All chairs will be wiped before AND after service day.
- All doors will be wiped (exterior and interior) after service day.
- Greeters at the door will politely ask everyone who comes to please take the day off if they don't feel well.
- Bathroom monitors with stopwatches will light-heartedly time folks as they wash their hands to ensure the 20 second
guidelines are followed for hand washing.
- All fruit/veg team members will wear gloves the entire time; not just the fruit salad making team.
- All fresh items will be bagged to ensure extra safety during transference.
- All families will be contacted that drivers will not be entering their homes to deliver food but for the next
few weeks will be leaving it outside their door. Drivers will "knock" to let family know the food has been
delivered.
- Delivery drivers will be advised to use their own comfort level with delivery of food – to leave food outside
of door instead of entering home.
- All program children will receive a break bag if schools are closed to ensure their food supply for meals
is stable.
Dawson Service Day – Dawson Home Delivery
- Extra attention will be paid to food and general health/safety guidelines from team leads (gentle direction
from team leads if they observe anything that concerns them).
- All chairs will be wiped before AND after service day.
- All doors will be wiped (exterior and interior) after service day.
- Greeters at the door will politely ask everyone who comes to please take the day off if they don't feel well.
Meals by Grace Community Pantry
- All chairs will be wiped before AND after service day.
- All doors will be wiped (exterior and interior) after service day.
- All shopping carts, iPads, clip boards/pens and other equipment will be wiped after each usage.
- Greeter at the door will politely ask everyone who comes if they are healthy and feel well today. If they do NOT,
they will be asked where they are parked, asked to go wait in their car, and our team will select their groceries for them and
deliver them to their car.
- Anyone who claims to be healthy and enters but exhibits signs of an illness will be asked to please exit and wait in their car
while we prepare their groceries and deliver them to their car.
Level 2 Preparedness
General
- Keep everyone updated on social media as appropriate regarding any changes or information affecting our plans/preparedness
and any changes to location/details needed.
- Change confirmation email to update volunteers about our preparedness measures and caution to stay home if not feeling
well (affirm the children's need and escalation of need if schools close).
- Send text message to every active volunteer registered for a service day reminding them of our preparedness measures
any changes to location/details and caution to stay home if not feeling well (affirm the children's need and
escalation of need if schools close).
Sunday Service Day – Forsyth Home Delivery
- Greeters will politely ask everyone who comes to please take the day off if they don't feel well.
- Service days will be handled as "pack & go" style.
- Hot meal will be temporarily eliminated; extra packaged goods will be supplied.
- All fresh items will be bagged to ensure extra safety during transference.
- All doors will be wiped (exterior and interior) after service day (if at MUMC).
- If MUMC decides for any reason to discontinue usage of the space for service day, we will move it to the hoop
house at the farm.
- If working from the farm all volunteers will use hand sanitizer throughout their service time and add gloves if
required to handle fresh items.
Dawson Service Day – Dawson Home Delivery
- If HBC decides for any reason to discontinue usage of their gym space for service day, we will move (with
their permission) outside under the portico to "pack & go."
- Greeters will politely ask everyone who comes to please take the day off if they don't feel well.
- Volunteers will take chosen family's boxes to their vehicle, then line up behind the truck to be handed each item
in appropriate quantity for their family's box. After placing items in the box, they will return to the truck for
distribution of the next item.
- If any fresh items are to be distributed, they should be bagged by volunteers who have used hand sanitizer and
sealed the items in bags to ensure extra safety during transference.
- When all items are distributed, drivers will leave to go deliver.
- All families will be contacted that drivers will not be entering their homes to deliver food but for the next
few weeks will be leaving it outside their door. Drivers will "knock" to let family know the food has been delivered.
- Delivery drivers will be advised to leave food outside of door instead of entering home.
Meals by Grace Community Pantry
- All pantry clients must be healthy to be served at the door or will be asked to wait in their car if not feeling
well. Food will be selected and left outside their car. Food can be placed in the car by client once pantry
worker has returned to the building.
- All healthy pantry clients will be asked to pick up their pre-selected food boxes/bags at the door.
- All doors will be wiped (exterior and interior) after service day.
- All shopping carts, iPads, clip boards/pens and other equipment will be wiped after each usage.
- Anyone who claims to be healthy, but exhibit signs of an illness, will be asked to please leave to wait in their
car while we prepare their groceries and deliver them to the outside of their car.
Synopsis of General Guidelines:
What we're doing
- Closely monitoring the advice and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World
Health Organization (WHO).
- Educating our employees on preventative measures provided by the CDC.
- Increasing the frequency and extent of our cleaning practices, such as additional wipe downs of all hard
surfaces including the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Providing additional resources that are available to guests and employees including hand santizers,
extra soap and paper towels in the restrooms.
- Implementing heightened sanitation and hand-washing procedures for all employees.
- Discouraging all personal contact.
What we encourage guests to do:
- Wash your hands frequently and use a paper towel to dry.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze with a tissue, and then dispose of the tissue.