It is in the interest of all parties that complaints are dealt with promptly and resolved as quickly as possible. Review of complaints is fair, impartial and respectful to all parties. Complainants are advised of their options to escalate their complaint to a more senior staff person if they are dissatisfied with treatment or outcome. Complainants are provided clear and understandable reasons for decisions relating to complaints. Updates are provided to complainants during review processes. Complaints are used to assist in improving services, policies and procedures and we will not retaliate against individuals who make a good-faith complaint.

To share a concern or complaint please contact the Food Banks Canada's Customer Experience Hotline at 1.877.280.0329, submit a contact form online at https://foodbankscanada.ca/about-us/get-in-touch/ or email us at complaints@foodbankscanada.ca.

Every effort will be made to resolve complaints received in a timely fashion. When receiving a verbal complaint, staff will attempt to resolve it immediately. Complaints received in writing will be acknowledged within two business days and the General Manager will attempt to resolve the matter within ten business days.

Where a complaint cannot be easily resolved, it should be escalated to a Board Member. If the complaint is about the General Manager, it will be handled by the Chair of the Board of Directors. Complainants will be kept informed of the status of their complaint. The Community Food Sharing Association will make every attempt to resolve escalated complaints within an additional ten business days so that all complaints are resolved within a month of having been received. If the General Manager or Board of Directors can not resolve a complaint it will be escalated to Food Banks Canada.

Community Food Sharing Association and our member food banks work together to provide food to its clients with no cost to them.

1.Provide food and other assistance to those needing help regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship,

colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, income source, age or mental or physical ability at no financial cost. 2.Treat all those who access services with the utmost dignity and respect. 3.Respect the privacy of those served and will maintain the confidentiality of personal information. 4.Food support services are provided without being implicitly/explicitly tied to any conditions.

All employees are entitled to perform their duties in a harassment-free work environment. The employer, in collaboration with all employees, is responsible for fostering a harassment-free work environment. Managers and supervisors are responsible for taking reasonable measures to ensure this requirement is met, regardless of whether a complaint has been filed. Failing to respond adequately to issues of harassment is a violation of the policy. All individuals share in the collective responsibility for a harassment-free work environment, including bystanders who witness harassing behaviors.

All individuals are entitled to a safe and accessible resolution process for complaints under the policy. The principles of justice, fairness, integrity, and impartiality will be applied in any resolution and/or investigation of situations that arise under the policy to ensure that the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of all individuals are respected.

The policy does not restrict the employer’s right to manage the workplace. Harassment does not include actions taken under this policy or supervisory and management actions, such as the assignment of work, performance reviews, coaching, and/or disciplinary or corrective action, when conducted in a respectful manner and in good faith.

The most effective way to resolve workplace harassment is to prevent such an occurrence from happening in the first place. The employer will inform all employees of the harassment-free workplace policy and promote a respectful work environment.

All individuals in the workplace are expected and required to conduct themselves in accordance with the standards and principles established by the policy even in the absence of a complaint of harassment. Harassment in any form will not be tolerated.

We are committed to ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities by identifying, removing and preventing barriers to promote the rights of all persons and to build and create an inclusive and accessible working environment. We support the intent of the Accessibility for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with the provincial Disabilities Act and its goal of achieving accessibility for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with disabilities with respect to customer service, information communication and employment.

Community Food Sharing Association does not release personal or financial information acquired from donors except for memorial gifts, in which case donor names may be released to the bereaved family.

Community Food Sharing Association does not use personal or financial information acquired from members and donors, for purposes other than determining eligibility for services or as part of our system of addressing abuse with other service agencies.

All employees and volunteers are responsible for respecting the dignity and rights of other staff and volunteers during and after working hours. Community Food Sharing Association extends its responsibility to encouraging its staff and volunteers to react to incidents of violence and harassment they have witnessed or have been affected by, even if the violence and harassment was not directed at them and has not yet resulted in a complaint.

Community Food Sharing Association abides by the Occupational Health and Safety Act which imposes certain minimum conditions on all workplaces that ensures that workers are provided with an environment that neither impairs their health nor imperils their safety. For a full list of the areas that are addressed visit: https://www.gov.nl.ca/dgsnl/ohs/legislation-summary

The only way to solve a problem as large as hunger is to keep working at it. Community Food Sharing Association cannot thrive without help from the community. Choosing to give a financial gift that ‘goes beyond’ will help us keep the momentum going in meeting current needs, while addressing the root causes of food insecurity. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians generously give money, food, and time to support our food banks. However, many people are unaware that by making a gift to Community Food Sharing Association in their will or estate plan, they can continue to help people in need. Furthermore, there are significant tax benefits to these gifts. Other ways to donate:

• Plan an event; • Organize a food drive; • Host a fundraiser; • Leave a legacy; • Will work for food; • Volunteer your time; • In honour of someone.

1. Provide food and other assistance to those needing help regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, income source, age or mental or physical ability.

2. Treat all those who access services with the utmost dignity and respect.

3. Implement best practices in the proper and safe storage and handling of food.

4. Respect the privacy of those served and will maintain the confidentiality of personal information.

5. Not sell donated food.

6. Acquire and share food in a spirit of cooperation with other food banks and food programs.

7. Strive to make the public aware of the existence of hunger, and of the factors that contribute to it.

8. Recognize that food banks are not a viable long-term response to hunger and devote part of their activities to reducing the need for food assistance.

9. Represent accurately, honestly and completely their respective mission and activities to the larger community

Problems, misunderstandings and frustrations may arise in the workplace. It is Community Food Sharing Association’s intent to be responsive to its employees, and volunteers, and their concerns. Therefore, an employee or volunteer who is confronted with a problem may use the procedure described below to resolve or clarify their concerns.

The purpose of this policy is to provide a quick, effective and consistently applied method for a nonsupervisory employee to present their concerns to management and have those concerns internally resolved.

See Community Food Sharing Association’s Operations Manual for procedures for handling internal complaints among staff and all volunteers.