1. Commitment to Non-Discrimination
Leftover Love is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all individuals, including but not limited to our staff, volunteers, donors, partners, and those receiving food assistance. We strictly prohibit discrimination against any person based on any of the following characteristics:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Sex
- Gender, gender identity, and gender expression
- Sexual orientation
- Age
- Disability
- Marital status
- Veteran status
- Socioeconomic status
This policy applies to all aspects of our operations, including but not limited to:
- Food collection and distribution
- Volunteer recruitment, training, and management
- Staff hiring, promotion, and termination
- Interactions with donors and partners
- Communications and public relations
2. Definitions of Discrimination
Discrimination: Any act or practice that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, results in the unequal treatment of an individual or group because of one or more of the characteristics listed in Section 1.
Discrimination can take many forms, including:
- Direct Discrimination: Treating someone less favorably because of a protected characteristic.
- Indirect Discrimination: Applying a policy or practice that is the same for everyone but unfairly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic.
- Harassment: Unwelcome conduct that is based on a protected characteristic and is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile or offensive environment.
- Retaliation: Taking adverse action against someone who has complained about discrimination or participated in an investigation of discrimination.
3. Responsibilities
Leftover Love Board & Staff:
- Develop, implement, and regularly review this policy.
- Ensure that all board members, staff, volunteers, and partners are aware of this policy and receive appropriate training.
- Take all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination from occurring.
- Promptly and thoroughly investigate all complaints of discrimination.
- Take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone found to have violated this policy.
- Ensure that individuals who report discrimination or participate in an investigation are protected from retaliation.
Volunteers:
- Treat all individuals with respect and dignity.
- Be aware of and comply with this policy.
- Refrain from any conduct that could be considered discriminatory.
- Report any suspected violations of this policy to Leftover Love leadership.
- Cooperate fully with any investigation of a discrimination complaint.
Donors and Partners:
Are expected to adhere to the principles of this policy in their interactions with Leftover Love.
Those Receiving Food Assistance:
Are entitled to receive assistance in a non-discriminatory manner, consistent with Leftover Love's mission and available resources.
4. Reporting and Complaint Procedure
Any individual who believes they have experienced or witnessed discrimination in violation of this policy is encouraged to report the incident promptly.
- Reporting: Reports can be made to the Executive Director at omar@leftoverloveinc.org, a Board member, or a designated staff member. Reports may be made verbally or in writing.
- Complaint Form: While not mandatory, a written complaint form may be used to document the details of the incident.
- Investigation: Leftover Love will conduct a prompt, impartial, and thorough investigation of all complaints. The investigation will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct a thorough review.
- Corrective Action: If the investigation determines that discrimination has occurred, Leftover Love will take appropriate corrective action. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Disciplinary action against the alleged offender (up to and including termination of volunteer status or employment).
- Implementing measures to prevent future discrimination.
- Providing support and remedies to the affected individual.
5. Policy Dissemination and Training
This policy will be:
- Publicly posted on the Leftover Love website.
- Provided to all staff members and volunteers.
- Included in volunteer training materials.
- Made available to donors and partners upon request.
Leftover Love will provide regular training to staff and volunteers on this policy and related issues, including recognizing and preventing discrimination.
6. Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure its effectiveness and compliance with applicable laws and best practices.
7. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or reports related to this Anti-Discrimination Policy, please contact:
Leftover Love, Inc.
Attn: Executive Director — Omar Tarabishi
PO Box 12189, Baltimore, MD 21281
Email: info@leftoverloveinc.org
Website: leftoverloveinc.org