Question: We have a food pantry on our hospital campus for team members who qualify for needing that as a resource that meets a need for food security support based on food insecurity questions.
Our team members volunteer their time in the pantry to support those team members in need.
Could we count the team members' time that volunteers in the pantry as a community benefit since those who access it have to qualify for that need?
Recommendation: We commend your program in service of support for fellow team members who are experiencing food insecurity. Since this program is for team members (employees), we recommend that you do not count the cost as a community benefit on Schedule H Part 1, No. 7.
However, if food insecurity is an identified community need, and the food pantry is also open to the community, the expenses incurred by the hospital to operate the food pantry could be counted as A4. Social and Environmental Improvement Activities.
If the team member is volunteering on their own time, it does not count as a community benefit.
(November 2023)