Bulk Buying Club Best Practices Toolkit - The Food Security Network ...

Step 6: Hold an Orientation Meeting
Now that you have your group organized and the
basics in place, you are ready to host an orientation
meeting. This meeting will provide the opportunity for
important introductions and planning, and all
participants, sponsors, and partners should be invited
to attend.
Prior to the orientation meeting, it is a good idea for
the coordinator to meet with each of the
participants on a one-on-one basis. This gives
participants a chance to get to know the coordinator, learn more about the
club, and ask questions. This is also a good time to have participants fill out a
family profile form. See Appendix G: Sample Family Profile Form (page 36) for an
example.
The purpose of an orientation meeting is to host introductions of staff, sponsors,
and professional resources such as Regional Nutritionists who may lend support
to the group; determine a common purpose for the bulk buying club; and
complete some important collective planning.
Some key questions you may want to consider at the orientation meeting
include:
� What kinds of food will you purchase? (e.g., low-cost food, healthier food
options, specialty food)
� How will the responsibilities be shared amongst the group? (e.g.,
shopping, dividing, and distributing food)
� When will these tasks take place? (e.g., shopping list development,
shopping, re-packaging, distribution)
� Who are your suppliers? Will they be able to meet your needs? (e.g.,
grocery stores, bulk food stores, wholesalers, farms, farmers‟ markets,
catalogues, online stores)
� How often will the group meet? (e.g., monthly, bi-monthly, bi-weekly)
� How and when will money be collected? (e.g., before or after shopping or
distribution)
� When and what workshops will be offered? (e.g., food safety, reading
food labels, nutrition)
Although it is up to the group to decide how often it can manage to collect
money and place orders, many bulk buying clubs purchase food once a month.
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