Meals minutes: 2015-09-03

Minutes:

Meals Minutes 9/3/15

Attending: Mac, Gail (G.).

Agenda:
Online meals system progress
Inventory/shopper's list
Food safety/hygiene course
Half-meals for elders
Loss of hours from work program due to cancelled meals
Other matters arising


Someone had brought up the idea of allowing seniors to sign up for a half-size meal to reflect a smaller appetite. At this point we don't know if it is logistically possible in the meals system, but are gathering information.
So far 3 potential uses have come out as saying they don't support the idea and that they should pay the same as anyone else.
One meal biller suggested that for someone who felt this was a barrier for coming to meals, could request reduced billing and perhaps sign up using the teenage column to reflect the lower billing.

Cancelled meals and the loss of hours in the work system:
In addition to the general distress that we feel when a meal is cancelled, the convener received an email about the meal cancellation situation:
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> As a meal worker (or anyone else), its easy to notice when worker cannot fulfill their meal shifts, so I thought a conversation to learn different perspectives might be helpful.
>
> I am really impressed by the meal program and also happy to take part in the meal preparation activities. The number of meals offered is amazing - its a huge community investment both in terms of hours and logistic arrangement.
>
> ​For each cancelled meal, the community lost the investment of more than 12 hours of work, which is more than one full-quota member per month. I have absolutely no problem with job swapping and occasional cancellation, but I feel more should be done from the meal system for at least two reasons. To keep the meal system accountable for the hour investment from work program and to reduce meal worker's reputation risk by sharing some of the "ad-hoc" (post meal scheduling) coordination responsibilities.
>
> As a comparison, community meetings also operates with a fixed schedule. There seems to be more shared duties that when a meeting is cancelled, it is transparent and justifiable. What seems to happen with meals (perhaps is a false impression on my side) is that when a meal fails to happen, it leaves an impression that someone does not show up to do his/her job.
>
> I am hoping the meal committee will re-visit the duties of ​Meal committee convener and its function as a meal program coordinator​ to provide additional support. And perhaps put the cancelled meal hours to use. At a minimum, the decision and announcement coming from a meal coordinator would make the whole deal seem more transparent.
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In addition to the loss of more than the whole work allotment for one person for the month, people who may be depending on the meal due to tight schedules, physical constraints, etc, will be unable to take advantage of the meal,
There is not a transparent process for meal cancellation, so it can look like a meal was pulled arbitrarily or unjustifiably.

One option might be to have the workers do other things (clean the kitchen, etc), but this doesn't do anything to get food on anyone's table, and puts the worker in the position of doing things they didn't sign up for.
At one point there was a document of alternative to canceling a meal, with ideas like having the assistants pick up food or have food shopped for and some pre-assembled and the assistants finish the meal. Gail will search for this document.
Here is the list that Gail found from 2013:
> Common meals are an important part of life at Great Oak and many of our members count on the opportunity to share in the meals and the fellowship they provide. Canceling a meal can cause problems for those who have signed up for the meal, both GO and Touchstone diners.
>
> What can you do if you find that you cannot do your head cook shift?
>
> 1. Ask for a swap.
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> 2. Talk to your assistant cooks.
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> a. Can you do the planning and the shopping and leave instructions for the assistant cooks to prepare the meal?
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> b. Can you prepare a portion of the meal in advance?
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> 3. Make it an order-in meal.
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> a. Be sure to announce any change in menu.
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> b. Arrange for pick-up or delivery and payment.
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> Suggestions for quick and easy last minute meals:
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> Pasta & sauce, salad, and bread
> Soup, salad, and bread
> Rotisserie chicken
> Baked potatoes
>



Willie stopped by to show us how the new online meals system (MESS) is coming along. Currently, the part to post and sign-up for meals is working, the billing part isn't ready yet. What's done looks really nice. The current plan is to move to it for meals that are in October.

Other things not discussed since the people weren't here.


Agenda for next meeting (october):
Online meals system progress
Inventory/shopper's list
Food safety/hygiene course
Half-meals for elders
Loss of hours from work program due to cancelled meals
Work jobs for next season, updating overall list
Budget thoughts
CH kitchen re-design planning
Other matters arising