Feeding
Feeding is the provision of food, snacks, and hydration to the affected population and emergency workers. It often begins with the whole community, starting with the local food banks, restaurants, and caterers and then transitioning to non-profit organizations that are noted for their disaster feeding expertise. Feeding can be provided at fixed and mobile sites. Feeding requirements are based on the demographic, cultural, dietary, and ethnic diversity of a community.
The Feeding function provides meals, snacks, and beverages to individuals and families in communities impacted by man-made and natural disasters, ranging from single-family fires to large-scale events, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods. Feeding includes the preparation, coordination, and delivery of meals through the following methods:
Congregate feeding—providing meals and beverages in a shelter.
Outreach feeding—providing meals and beverages either at a fixed, non-shelter location in or near a disaster-affected area or by using emergency response vehicles (ERV) that travel throughout affected communities.
Canteening—providing snacks, beverages, and sometimes meals to first-responders, shelter clients, and others who need their nutrition needs to be met outside of scheduled meal times.
MULTIAGENCY FEEDING SUPPORT PLAN TEMPLATE (JUNE 2015)
The purpose of this template is to define the framework for State and/or Federal support of a coordinated, timely and efficient feeding response within a jurisdiction. It also defines the full spectrum of services required from initiation until community services are restored. This multi-agency feeding plan along with the coordinating body, the Multiagency Feeding Task Force, has been developed as an integrated strategy and process for implementing coordinated feeding operations at the jurisdictional level. The multi-agency feeding plan will help to limit duplication of efforts and maximize use of available resources.
HOUSEHOLD DISASTER FEEDING OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE: A STATE TEMPLATE (JULY 2012)
This guidance document assists jurisdictions in the development of a procedures for household disaster feeding. The document outlines procedures for the acquisition, assembly and distribution of food items for household distribution in a disaster within the context of a Multi-Agency Feeding Task Force. The focus stresses coordination and collaboration by the various stakeholders during preparedness, response and recovery.
