Labor: Connecting Labor Surpluses and Shortages During COVID-19
Labor: Connecting Labor Surpluses and Shortages During COVID-19
Past Event
Wednesday April 22, 2020
While millions of Americans have been hit by the wave of unemployment, some sectors, including food recovery, don’t have enough labor to meet record demand. We’ll discuss how to match people willing and able to work with organizations that need them.
Panelists
Katherine Miller
Vice President of Impact, James Beard Foundation
Katherine Miller
Vice President of Impact, James Beard Foundation
Katherine Miller leads all of the James Beard Foundation's social impact programs including the national scholarship program, environmental sustainability initiatives, and education and advocacy programs. She developed and leads the Foundation's signature training program, the Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change, and also leads the foundation's work on public policy and advocacy. In September 2017, Katherine was named one of "The 2017 Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink" by Fortune and Food & Wine. Before joining the good food movement, she developed and managed integrated campaigns for many of the world's leading socially responsible corporations and foundations including TIAA-CREF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the United Nations Foundation. Her work has won numerous awards including the People's Choice Webby, Best Non-Profit Tagline of the Year, PR Grassroots Campaign of the year, and several Pollies (the political world's Academy Award). She is a board member of the New Venture Fund and RAINN (the U.S. national sexual assault hotline). She is a graduate of the Loyola University of New Orleans and, in her free time, she is perfecting her bread-baking techniques.
Melissa Speisman
Vice President and National Site Director, Food Rescue US
Melissa Speisman
Vice President and National Site Director, Food Rescue US
Melissa has over 25 years as a hospitality and nutrition professional and has combined this experience with her passion for ending hunger and food waste to help develop innovative food recovery solutions. In 2011, Melissa joined Food Rescue US, then known as Community Plates, and now serves as their VP, National Site Director. She has helped to expand the organization nationally and has launched 25 site locations in 17 States and the District of Columbia, where the Food Rescue US dedicated Site Directors and volunteer food rescuers have rescued and delivered over 39 million meals and kept 52 million pounds of food waste out of landfills. Melissa supports each individual location in their day to day operations and helps them develop strategic partnerships to increase their impact on the communities they serve. With a goal of expanding to all 50 states over the next 3-5 years, she meets with individuals and organizations daily to launch new Food Rescue US affiliates. Melissa is also spearheading the launch of V3 of the Food Rescue US proprietary software which will launch later this Spring. Melissa and Food Rescue US have developed emergency programs to respond to the increased need at this time and have launched a COVID-19 Response Fund.
Denise Osterhues
Senior Director - Sustainability & Community Engagement, The Kroger Co.
Denise Osterhues
Senior Director - Sustainability & Community Engagement, The Kroger Co.
Denise Osterhues leads Kroger’s sustainability, philanthropy and community engagement efforts as part of the Corporate Affairs team. She leads Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan, the company’s commitment to help create communities free of hunger and waste. She is also responsible for stakeholder engagement, strategic community partnerships and reporting on key environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics for the company.
Event Resources
Key Takeaways
CARE FOR EACH OTHER
Melissa, Denise, and Katherine each repeatedly reminded us of the importance of taking care of each other. We have to stay well now if we’re to rebound strong when the world opens back up. This includes adopting the physical cleanliness and safety measures the CDC recommends, but also goes further. Denise highlighted how Kroger is providing additional time off and shortening store hours to facilitate recuperation, as well as boosting morale with positive reinforcement like recognitions and “hero” bonuses. This is a marathon, not a sprint, after all (though it probably feels like both).
CREATE CONTINUITY
This is a best practice from last week worth repeating: the best way to prevent labor disruptions is to keep operations going. On last week’s installment, Melissa called in as a guest to share that Food Rescue US is doing this by forming community kitchens in corporate dining facilities; this keeps kitchens open, labor in place, and food flowing. This week, Katherine added that a recent James Beard Foundation (JBF) survey showed 30% of their members are continuing operations by feeding hospital workers, supplying school food centers, or feeding restaurant workers in need.
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