Should I be worried about handling frozen food?
Short Answer: Not at all . . . just be sure to take a few precautions.
Long Answer: A lot of people think that selecting the right product to sell will determine how well a fundraiser does. While offering your community good quality products is important, you should never underestimate the importance of motivation. Starting your fundraiser as early as possible—and certainly before your regular-season competition begins—is important because that is when your players will have the most enthusiasm for their sport and are most willing to participate in your fundraiser.
However, there are a few things you should do to ensure product integrity: (1) Ask your sellers to turn in the money collected with their fundraising orders—because a pre-paid order is almost certain to be picked up on the designated delivery date; (2) Make sure the reserved delivery location is sheltered from the sun or extreme heat; (3) Give sellers and their parents adequate notice of your delivery date, time and location, and then remind them a few days before the scheduled delivery; (4) Make sure the sellers’ phone number has been entered on the yellow tally sheets when you collect them so you can call the sellers from the delivery location if necessary, and (5) About a week or two before the delivery date, ask a the owner or manager of a local business that has a large freezer or refrigerator whether you can stow a few unclaimed orders for a day or two if necessary. Most businesses want to help local youth organizations; however, it has been our experience that it is rare that sponsors have to resort to this last precaution. Even so, you’ll feel better knowing extra cold storage is available in case it is needed.
Next FAQ: When must we pay for our food order?