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FY2017 IMPACT:

NOURISHING COMMUNITIES IN LATIN AMERICA

Since its founding in 2006, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) has been devoted to expanding food banking throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. When GFN first started working in the region, 10 percent of the population suffered from hunger or malnutrition.1

Over the past decade, the region has made great progress in reducing hunger, and experts predict that the region could eradicate hunger before 2025.2 Yet there is still more work to be done before this milestone is reached. Food banking has played-and will continue to play-a crucial role in helping the region meet its goals. GFN will continue to provide the services and technical assistance needed to ensure that food banking organizations in Latin America are well equipped to serve their local communities. We are also looking forward to expanding the food banking concept in Asia, where the majority of those suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition now reside.

1 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “Freeing Latin America and the Caribbean from hunger.”
2 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “Latin America and the Caribbean can make hunger history.”

FY2017 Impact:
PROGRESS IN LATIN AMERICA

Three new food banking organizations became members of GFN.

GFN welcomed three new members to its network: Banco de Alimentos República Dominicana (Dominican Republic), Banco de Alimentos Honduras (Honduras), and Banco de Alimentos Panamá (Panama).


The three food banks joined the network after being awarded GFN certification. Certification ensures the organizations meet strict food safety, administrative, and operational standards and conduct business with the highest level of transparency and ethics. It provides a “seal of approval” and establishes trust among GFN’s global partners.


The distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables increased in Monterrey, Mexico.

GFN partnered with Banco de Alimentos Cáritas de Monterrey to install cold storage and specialized equipment for sorting fresh produce, acquire new vehicles, and make warehouse improvements for the distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables. This support made it possible for the food bank to reach more than 7,600 food insecure people and to monitor the impact of improved nutrition.


Food banking operations were optimized in Panama.

GFN collaborated with Banco de Alimentos Panamá to complete the pilot phase of GFN’s IT Starter Kit, a technology system that helps food banking organizations increase efficiency and maximize hunger relief efforts. The new system is expected to enable the distribution of more than 260,000 additional pounds of food annually.


Letter from the
President & CEO

Greetings from The Global FoodBanking Network!


I am pleased to share our FY2017 Annual Report, which lays out the strategies, progress, and impact of our organization for the period July 2016 to June 2017.


This year The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) served organizations in 32 countries that together distributed more than 940 million pounds of food to over 7.11 million people in need.


FY2017 marked a period of growth, as GFN welcomed three new certified members in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Panama to its network. GFN’s certification program continues to provide consistent operating, legal, and financial standards that all GFN certified members meet. As food banking organizations move through the certification process, it is our goal to provide targeted technical support and to share best practices that help leaders build more effective and sustainable organizations. As Julien Bullaird from Banco de Alimentos Republica Dominica said, “GFN support is invaluable, not only to help us to reach new donors, but also to help us to build a strong and more credible organization.”


As we shared last year, after nearly a decade of starting food banks in communities where they are needed, GFN is refocusing on the second part of its mission: to strengthen food banks where they exist. In FY2017, GFN increased its programmatic focus and investments in capacity building to help organizations in our network serve more people facing hunger in their communities. This year GFN shifted the focus of this program from supporting short-term hunger relief to interventions that will enable relief more sustainably. We primarily invested in infrastructure-enhancing opportunities—those that will allow food banking organizations to reach more people facing hunger over the long term. Due to this capacity building program, more than 865,000 people were provided with safe and nutritious food in FY2017. The majority of these people will continue receiving nutritious meals in years to come thanks to these investments.


In light of the international community’s commitment to ending hunger by 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals, this year GFN launched a campaign to extend its network’s food bank service to 1.2 million more people facing hunger by the end of calendar year 2018, bringing the number of people nourished to 8 million. Both food banking organizations and financial partners rallied behind this goal, and through a match opportunity made possible by a generous anonymous donor, $1 million was raised to make this commitment a reality. We look forward to keeping you apprised of our progress on the 8 Million by 2018 campaign in FY2018.


Finally, a number of exciting organizational changes occurred this year. The GFN board of directors welcomed a new chair and vice chair in Alan Gilbertson of FoodForward SA and Jason D. Ramey of Grant Thornton LLP, respectively and benefited from the addition of international development experts Catherine Bertini of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Martin Burt of Fundación Paraguaya.


The organization moved to a new office at 70 E. Lake Street. A brand update and new website were launched to better highlight GFN’s goal of uniting and empowering organizations to mount a more effective fight against hunger.


GFN’s work is only made possible through the support of donors and partners like you. On behalf of our board of directors and staff, thank you for your commitment to hunger relief. It is my hope that this report lays out how your investments have helped establish and grow food banking organizations that are mitigating hunger around the world.


Despite the accomplishments of this past fiscal year, one in four people globally suffers from malnutrition, and millions could be reached through food banking. I hope you will continue to partner with us to scale the food banking solution to help nourish the world.


With best regards,




Lisa J. Moon


Our Mission

To alleviate global hunger by collaborating to develop food banks in communities where they are needed and by supporting food banks where they exist.


FY2017 IMPACT:THE GFN NETWORK PROVIDED SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO 7.11 MILLION PEOPLE IN FY2017.

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FY2017 IMPACT:
THE GFN NETWORK PROVIDED SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS
FOOD TO 7.11 MILLION PEOPLE IN FY2017.

One food bank can alleviate hunger in a community. Together, we can serve countless more. Thanks to the generosity of partners like you, GFN was able to expand its impact and support food bank leaders in 32 countries to flight hunger in their communities. Our vision is a global network of food banks that nourish the world.


FY2017 IMPACT:BUILT FOOD BANK
CAPACITY

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FY2017 IMPACT:
BUILT FOOD BANK CAPACITY

Our capacity-building program enabled more than 865,000 people to access safe and nutritious food.

Thanks to the generous support of partners like you, GFN provided more than $1.4 million in grants to food banks in Europe, Latin America, and Asia and launched the pilot of a food-bank-specific inventory management system.


GFN partnered with FareShare UK to invest in five regional centers, expanding its reach. St. Albans Community Centre in West Midlands, United Kingdom, is just one of the organizations that benefited. The fresh food the center receives from FareShare UK allows it to spend less on food and more of its resources on meeting needs in its local community.

A GFN grant to Crosscare in Ireland enabled the food bank to expand its service beyond Dublin, serving an additional 53,000 people facing hunger.

Thanks to a long-standing relationship with a GFN global corporate partner, FoodForward SA was able to purchase a five-ton refrigerated truck to support service in Johannesburg. To date, this truck has enabled the delivery of more than 790,000 pounds of food to those facing hunger in the city.

“We are sure that this technological innovation is going to increase the efficiency of our operations, which translates into diminishing levels of hunger in our country by being able to feed more Panamanians each day.”
Ana Isabel Mendez, Executive Director, Banco de Alimentos Panamá
FILL YOUR TANK PROGRAM:
ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR FOUNDATION

This program launched in October 2016 and will invest $6 million over six years to address food insecurity in Europe. Thanks to this generous support, GFN, in partnership with the European Federation of Food Banks, is partnering with food banks in France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and the U.K. to bolster hunger relief efforts. Investments will expand food banking service areas, increase the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables, and help reduce food waste.

“We get incredible stuff from FareShare. Excellent quality meat like chicken and pork joints-all our service users love a roast dinner or a casserole. We also get things like vegetables, cheese, and butter, which helps us to no end.”
Debbie Billington, Deputy Centre Manager, St. Albans Community
“Crosscare gave me good food from the food bank. I like to get the fresh vegetables… and make a pot of soup for the week and have that with a scone. People need a start, a psychological boost, [and] knowing that the pot of soup is on the stove keeps me going.”
Ben, Recipient at Dun Laoghaire Community Food Bank (Ireland)

FY2017 Impact:EQUIPPED FOOD
BANKS LEADERS

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FY2017 Impact:
Equipped Food Bank Leaders

Through its peer network of food bank leaders and its expert staff, GFN was able to offer food banks greater access to the resources and know-how needed to better serve those facing hunger in their local communities.



2017 Food Bank Leadership Institute
The 11th Annual Food Bank Leadership Institute (FBLI) convened leaders from 32 countries to share best practices and exchange insights on how food banking organizations can support food security in their local communities. FBLI remains the only training of its kind, tailored specifically to the unique needs of food bank professionals.
GFN e-Learning
Launched in 2016, GFN e-Learning extends the benefits of the Food Bank Leadership Institute by offering a 24/7 opportunity for food bankers to connect with each other. The portal helps food bankers augment their skills, improve their staff’s knowledge, and make operations more efficient and effective. It offers network food banks access to information based on their needs and level of experience. This easily leads support and strategies to better serve their goal of hunger relief.
GFN e-Learning Impact

FY2017 Impact:BUILT A TRUSTED
NETWORK

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FY2017 IMPACT:
BUILT A TRUSTED NETWORK

Since our organization’s launch more than a decade ago, GFN has reviewed and granted membership through our certification program. GFN Certification requirements assure partners and donors that members follow appropriate food safety and handling procedures, maintain effective controls to ensure secure inventory and distribution records, and establish sound and transparent fiscal, administrative, and operational protocols. GFN members are recertified every two years to ensure that they continue to operate in compliance with these high standards.


New Certified Members
  • Banco de Alimentos República Dominicana
    (Dominican Republic)
  • Banco de Alimentos Honduras (Honduras)
  • Banco de Alimentos Panamá (Panama)
Recertified Members
  • Red Bancos de Alimentos Argentina (Argentina)
  • Foodbank Australia (Australia)
  • Feeding Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
  • Fundación Banco de Alimentos Paraguay (Paraguay)
  • FoodForward SA (South Africa)
  • Korea National Food Bank (South Korea)

Financials

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Financials

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Thank You

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Thank You

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Board of
Directors
& Officers

Board of Directors

Patrick Alix
Secretary General
European Federation
of Food Banks (FEBA)
FRANCE

Katharine Bambrick
Chief Executive Officer
Ontario Trillium Foundation
CANADA

Catherine Bertini
Distinguished Fellow
Global Food and
Agriculture
The Chicago Council
on Global Affairs
USA

Martin Burt, PhD
Executive Director,
Fundación Paraguaya
Executive Director
Teach A Man To Fish
PARAGUAY

 

 

Cristián Cardoner
Director
Paraguay Retail Ventures
PARAGUAY

Carol Criner
Vice President,
Strategic Accounts
HCL Technologies
USA

Jaynee Day
President and CEO
Second Harvest Food Bank
of Middle Tennessee
USA

Alan Gilbertson (Chair)
Director
FoodForward SA (South Africa)
SOUTH AFRICA

Brian Greene
President and CEO
Houston Food Bank
USA

Ellen Goldberg Luger
Senior Vice President for
Philanthropic Services
The Minneapolis Foundation
USA

Jason D. Ramey (Vice Chair)
National Managing Partner
International Client Services
Grant Thornton LLP
USA

William B. Thomas
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Feeding America
USA

Corporate Officers

Lisa J. Moon
President and CEO

Christopher Rebstock
Secretary
Senior Vice President, Network Development

Beth E. Saks
Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
Chief Financial Officer

General Counsel
Allen J. Ginsburg
Partner
DLA Piper LLP (US)