Questions & clear answers
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to bring on my first visit to the Fresh Choice Pantry?
Just yourself, and reusable bags if you have them; we always keep spares. No one is turned away for missing documents on a first visit. For regular weekly visits, a piece of post showing a Norfolk-area address helps us report neighbourhood totals to regional food-bank funders. No payslips or credit checks are ever needed.
Are the youth, adult and social-work programmes really free?
Yes. Every resident service, from after-school STEAM tutoring and snacks to housing navigation with a licensed social worker and workforce cohorts with childcare, is free to families thanks to community donors, volunteers and civic grants.
How can a homebound senior or neighbour with a disability request grocery delivery?
Call the front desk or send the enquiry form for yourself, a relative or an elderly neighbour. Our coordinator makes a short phone check-in to note dietary needs (low-sodium, diabetic-friendly, soft foods or culturally specific staples) and adds the household to a weekly volunteer doorstep route.
How old do volunteers need to be, and do I need experience?
No experience is needed: every shift starts with a friendly 10-minute walkthrough. Volunteers aged 16 and over can sign up on their own, and young people aged 10 to 15 are welcome alongside a parent or guardian on produce-sorting and garden shifts. Ongoing youth tutors complete a free state background check paid for by the centre.
Can our company, school or faith group book a group volunteer shift?
Yes. We host teams of 5 to 15 people on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, and on Saturdays by arrangement. Get in touch three to four weeks ahead so our volunteer coordinator can reserve a produce-packing, backpack-assembly or garden-bed project for your group.
Are donations tax-deductible, and how much goes directly to programmes?
Yes. Harbor Hands Collective is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity and every monetary gift receives a tax-deductible receipt. In our most recent independent audit, 88% of all spending went directly into food access, youth education and family stability programmes.
Is it better to donate tinned food or give money?
We gratefully accept unopened, in-date shelf-stable food, diapers (especially sizes 3 to 6) and hygiene items. Money stretches further for fresh food, though: because we buy wholesale from regional farms and food-bank cooperatives, a $25 gift buys nearly four times as much produce, eggs and dairy as $25 spent at a supermarket.
Is Family Resource Navigation kept confidential?
Strictly. Appointments with our licensed clinical social worker and navigation team take place in private offices, and we never share names or household circumstances with employers, landlords or commercial databases.