Continuous Improvement

Innovating for Good: Continuous Improvement for Greater Impact 

At Gleaners Community Food Bank, we're committed to doing more and better for our communities. We work to reach as many households as possible with efficiency and compassion, focusing on reducing waste, fostering equitable and inclusive spaces, and ensuring our guests have access to the food they need when they need it.

Gleaners' team members are engaged in continuous improvement processes—an ongoing effort to consistently make incremental improvements to all our services.

 

Why Continuous Improvement Matters

“It's not enough to simply give away food with a smile and kind word. We must continually improve the way we serve the community...Our neighbors facing food-insecurity have the same expectations and demands as food-secure people, perhaps more so. Every day we need to look at our services and processes and ask how we can improve them to ensure all are served the same.”

- Joe Knight, Senior Director, Operations Process and Engagement

Continuous Improvement in Action

 

From Bags to Boxes

Volunteers at our Taylor warehouse used to pack food into bags for distribution at Community Mobile sites. However, the bags were difficult to transport—they took up valuable truck space, shifted in transit, and were prone to tearing.

In 2024, we transitioned to sturdy, recyclable cardboard boxes. Not only are they more reliable and easier to transport, but they also allow us to pack more efficiently. With standardized box sizes, we can plan more strategically, ensuring each load is maximized for space and efficiency.

No Stickers, No Problem

Most produce arrives at our warehouse with packaging, like stickers designed for grocery checkouts, rendering them difficult or impossible to compost. To keep these stickered fruits and vegetables out of landfills, our team initially asked volunteers to remove the stickers by hand—a good idea in theory, but ultimately a tedious process.

Then the team had a bright idea: freeze the produce overnight. As ice forms on the surface, the stickers slide right off, making the food ready for the compost bin with far less effort!

New and Improved Assembly Line

Volunteers used to stand in the middle of the warehouse with food items on either side of them. This was inefficient, slow, and required volunteers to twist and turn in order to pack boxes.  

In 2024, we brought in orange pass-through racks, which sped up packing and meant no more straining to grab products. It’s not only safer, but it also saves time, allowing us to focus more energy on packing frozen and fresh items.  

Before we made the switch to boxes and a more efficient assembly line, we were able to pack enough food for about 750 households per shift—now, we can pack enough food for up to 1,600 households per shift. 

Enhancing the Volunteer Experience

Volunteers are essential to Gleaners’ mission, and we’re continuously improving their experience to make each shift more engaging, meaningful, and impactful. New enhancements, like a volunteer leaderboard, foster friendly competition and a sense of connection between groups.  

At the end of each shift, teams receive personalized impact reports, showing exactly how much food they sorted, packed, or distributed—helping volunteers see the direct results of their efforts. We’ve also increased flexibility to accommodate groups of varying sizes and activities, making it easier than ever for teams to contribute in a way that fits their skills and schedules. 

Smarter Ordering, Stronger Impact 

By shifting from a push model to a pull model of ordering, we’re giving our agency partners greater access to high demand donated items. Instead of receiving predetermined shipments, agencies can now view available inventory in advance and order the exact quantities they need for their community. This shift reduces waste, ensures a better match between supply and demand, and ultimately helps us serve our neighbors more effectively. 

We’ve also fine-tuned our inventory system to improve accuracy and consistency. Enhanced scanning models allow for better tracking, while strategic stock reorganization—like moving frequently requested items such as milk to the front of refrigerators—helps streamline order fulfillment. These improvements mean faster load-ups, smoother hauls, and more food reaching the community with efficiency and care.