Notes From the Pantry

Help From Home

With so many generous people asking how they can help during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we are happy to announce the IFP Help From Home Challenge! Stay busy and lend a hand by sorting, bagging, collecting and organizing our most needed items. Some challenges may have limited participants.

January Help from Home Challenge

Share a cup of Positivi-tea Challenge

Happy New Year! Our January Help from Home Challenge is to share a cup of Positivi-tea!

Step 1. You’ll need tea bags (you can purchase or use unopened boxes that you have at home (please check the expiration date) and sandwich size plastic bags (ziploc, for example)

Step 2. Find a clean dry workspace. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and put on a clean pair of gloves.

Step 3. Place 10 tea bags in each sandwich bag and seal the bag.

Step 4. Add a label to the outside of each sandwich bag that tells us what kind of tea it is (regular, decaf, green, herbal). You can use any kind of label, for example a mailing label or tape you can write on. You can also include a positive message.

Step 5. Fill out this very quick Google Form, telling us who you are and how many bags you made https://forms.gle/fm6mBzjyCiyJMk5r8.

Step 6. Take a picture of you and/or your bags of tea and post to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ifphelpfromhome.

Step 7. Finally, you can donate your bags of tea to the IFPN through our no contact bins at 2 Executive Drive in Morris Plains.

December Help from Home Challenge

Advent Calendar Challenge

Happy Holidays! Our December Help from Home Challenge is to be complete the IFPN Advent Calendar! Print out a copy and check off each day as you complete it.

Step 1. Print out a copy of our IFPN Advent Calendar.

Step 2. Each day collect 1 or more items listed on the calendar.

Step 3. On December 28th load up your goods and donate them by dropping them off at IFP’s no contact bin at 2 Executive Drive in Morris Plains.

Step 4. Take a picture of you and/or your collection and post it on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ifphelpfromhome.

November Help from Home Challenge

Turkey Trot Ambassador Challenge

Our November Help from Home Challenge is to be a Read Feed Run Virtual Turkey Trot Ambassador! For 13 years we have gotten together on Thanksgiving Morning to run together is support of Morris County residents in need.

In this unique year we have taken the Turkey Trot Virtual! Over 2,400 people show up every year to run the 5K on Thanksgiving Day. We need your help spreading the word that the Read Feed Run Turkey Trot is still on but it’s being done in the safety of your own neighborhood.

There are a few ways you can help.:

1) Register and run. When you register you will receive a collector’s edition t-shirt(with the option to upgrade to a tech tee. Register by Nov 6th to have it for Thanksgiving Day).

2) Set up a personal webpage to track your miles, tell your family and friends you’re being active in support of this good cause and fundraise.

3) Like and share our Facebook and Instagram pages. Don’t forget to put your pictures, and tag us at @readfeedrun #readfeedrun, as you take part in activities or run the race on Thanksgiving Morning.

October Help from Home Challenge

Orange You Glad It’s October Challenge

Our October Help from Home Challenge is fruity! We love to give our clients fresh fruit with their monthly food distribution. Oranges or any citrus are always a  welcomed treat!

Step 1. You’ll need citrus (you can purchase or collect fruit from your friends and neighbors) and gallon size plastic bags (ziploc, for example). Any kind of citrus is welcomed! Lemons, Limes, Oranges or Grapefruit.

Step 2. Find a clean dry workspace. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and put on a clean pair of gloves.

Step 3. Put 6 pieces of citrus in a bag and seal it closed. You can do all one kind or mix and match.

Step 3. Fill out this very quick Google Form, telling us who you are and how many jars you’ll be bringing https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mO7p7yz9Wh1apZNm4cNE1ax1i-ZHlKP6cCCtpahsAA4/edit

Step 4. Take a picture of you and/or your bags of citrus and post to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ifphelpfromhome.

Step 5.  Finally, donate your bags by dropping them off at IFP’s no contact shopping cart at 2 Executive Drive in Morris Plains. Please ring the bell and let our warehouse staff know there is fresh produce in the bin.

September Help from Home Challenge

Peanut Butter and Jelly Challenge

Our September Help from Home Challenge is jammin’! School will look a little different this year but kids still need to eat.  What’s better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Your participation in the Peanut Butter and Jelly Challenge will help us stock-up on these essential back-to-school staples  – all individuals and families are welcome to participate:

Step 1. Purchase or collect new, unopened jars of peanut butter (18 oz size only please!) and jelly/jam (preferably plastic jelly jars). In order to keep our choices healthy please chose low sugar jams and jellies.

Step 2. Write an encouraging back to school note or print and color our peanut butter and jelly graphic or draw a picture for us to give to our clients. Sometimes the littlest things can really put a smile on our client’s faces! Put your note in the bag with your peanut butter and jelly and we’ll be sure it gets included in their groceries or back to school backpacks!

Step 3. Fill out this very quick Google Form, telling us who you are and how many jars you’ll be bringing https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ljmv2qs0wWULJ-2JR8vxwq22N72QMZ5PxPMlJbGcp6A/edit

Step 4. Take a picture of you and/or your jars of peanut butter and jelly and post to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ifphelpfromhome.

Step 5.  Finally, donate your jars by dropping them off at IFP’s no contact bins at 2 Executive Drive in Morris Plains.

August Help from Home Challenge

Instant Oatmeal Challenge

Our August Help from Home Challenge will be the Instant Oatmeal Challenge. Oatmeal is a staple in our breakfast bags. We are running low and can use your help! Here are the instructions for the challenge – all individuals and families are welcome to participate:

Step 1. You will need individual packets of instant oatmeal (you can purchase or use unopened boxes that you have at home (please check the expiration date), quart size plastic bags (Ziploc, for example) and access to a printer.

Step 2. Find a clean dry workspace. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and put on a clean pair of gloves.

Step 3. Place 6 oatmeal packets and a copy of the nutritional information and ingredients in each bag and seal the bag. Each bag must have the ingredients and nutrition information in it or we can not distribute it. You can find a printable version for a few varieties of Quaker Instant Oatmeal by clicking the links below:

Step 4. Add a label to the outside of each bag that tells us what kind of oatmeal it is. You can use any kind of label, for example a mailing label or tape you can write on.

Step 5. Fill out this very quick Google Form, telling us who you are and how many bags you made https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dkg049B4-TOM6WE0MZ45oLXapGrySs6EiMEK2swJzNA/edit

Step 6. Take a picture of you and/or your bags of oatmeal and post to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ifphelpfromhome.

Step 7. Finally, you can donate your bags of oatmeal to the IFP through our no contact bins at 2 Executive Drive in Morris Plains.

July Help from Home Challenge

Tea Challenge

Our July Help from Home challenge will be the Tea Challenge. Tea is one of those items that we like to send home regularly with our clients and these days, we’re using a lot of it. So, here are the instructions for the challenge – all individuals and families are welcome to participate:

Step 1. You’ll need tea bags (you can purchase or use unopened boxes that you have at home (please check the expiration date) and sandwich size plastic bags (ziploc, for example)

Step 2. Find a clean dry workspace. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and put on a clean pair of gloves.

Step 3. Place 10 tea bags in each sandwich bag and seal the bag.

Step 4. Add a label to the outside of each sandwich bag that tells us what kind of tea it is (regular, decaf, green, herbal). You can use any kind of label, for example a mailing label or tape you can write on.

Step 5. Fill out this very quick Google Form, telling us who you are and how many bags you made https://forms.gle/fm6mBzjyCiyJMk5r8.

Step 6. Take a picture of you and/or your bags of tea and post to Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ifphelpfromhome.

Step 7. Finally, you can donate your bags of tea to the IFP through our no contact bins at 2 Executive Drive in Morris Plains.

June Help from Home Challenge

Veggiestruction

We need your help! IFP is low on canned vegetables.

Step 1. Collect canned vegetables (example: potatoes, mixed vegetables, peas, carrots, corn, mushrooms, green beans, etc.). Some suggestions for collecting cans are: start a small food drive in your neighborhood (use a contact-less bin for collection), get together with your sports team to collect cans as a team, grab some work colleagues and ask them to help or just pick up some canned vegetables on your next trip to the grocery store.

Step 2. Check your cans for dents and expiration dates. Doing so helps our sorters and ensures that our clients receive safe and healthy food.

Step 3. Get creative! Use your cans to build a structure that can stand on its own.

Step 4. Share you hard work with the world! Take a picture of your creation. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Finally, tag your picture with #ifphelpfromhome, so we can see all the Help from Home Creations!

Step 5. Fill out our form so we can make sure you get credit for all your hard work! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bSsIxHOBknhqoh8GLEF26vd6vczqLSX0EZ2GvP0savw/edit

Step 6: Drop off your donation to the IFP Warehouse at 2 Executive Drive, Morris Plains, NJ 07950, 9:30-4:30 Monday – Thursday. Our ware house will be under construction from June 15-19. Please do not drop off donations during that time.

At the end of the month, the Help from Home Participants who have the most cans collected and the most creative Veggiestruction will be recognized on IFPN’s Facebook and Instagram!