Introduction: - · Web viewfacilitate advertising through word of mouth and help get a feel for the community surrounding a market. This toolkit serves as a suggestive guide to planning,

S t r e e t T e a m T o o l k i t P a g e | 1

Compiled by Rachael Kane with Clarkston Farmers Market

For questions, please email [email protected]

STREET TEAM/CANVASSING

TOOLKIT

mailto:[email protected]


Table of ContentsIntroduction:........................................................................................................................................3

Summary of Step-by-Step Process:.......................................................................................................3

STEP 1: Pick a Day and Time.................................................................................................................5

STEP 2: Tips for Recruiting Volunteers..................................................................................................6

STEP 3: Tips for Mapping Your Area......................................................................................................7

Example Street Team Map:................................................................................................9

STEP 4: Prepare and Print Materials...................................................................................................10

Sample Street Team Volunteer Orientation Agenda........................................................11

Sample Street Team Script and Talking Points.................................................................13

Sample List of Vendors for [NEXT MARKET DATE]...........................................................14

Sample Bulletin/Flyer Distributed on Street Teams.........................................................15

STEP 5: Day of Street Team................................................................................................................16

Sample Volunteer Post-Service Survey............................................................................17

STEP 6: After Street Team: Evaluate and Re-plan................................................................................18


Introduction:

Street Teams or Canvassing Groups are an outreach strategy where groups of volunteers travel door-to-door and talk to community members about an important event, community benefit or program. When used for farmers markets they can be an effective tool for touching hard-to-reach populations who do not regularly use other forms of advertising like social media. Street Teams can also help to facilitate advertising through word of mouth and help get a feel for the community surrounding a market. This toolkit serves as a suggestive guide to planning, conducting and evaluating a Street Team. Enjoy!

Summary of Step-by-Step Process:

Preparation

Pick a date and timeRecruit volunteersMap out the area Prepare and Print Materials

Day of the Street Team

Volunteer orientationSplit volunteers into teams and select leadersConduct Street TeamDebrief with volunteers

After Street Team

EvaluateRevise and Re-plan


STEP 1: Pick a Day and Time

Select a day that is close to the day of the market (one or two days before) so people you speak with will not forget the information you give

Street Teams work well in conjunction with a big event that will draw people to the market

a. Examples include a fundraiser, cooking competition, SNAP enrollment, special musical performance, etc

When selecting a time keep in mind times when people in your community are generally in their homes

a. For example, the middle of the day on a weekday may not be very successful unless you have a large population that does not work traditional jobs

Don’t start too early or end too latea. Before 10am on a Saturday or Sunday may not be the best timeb. Street Teams should generally end before dark for safety

Put yourself in the shoes of a volunteer and think about the length of the Street Teama. 2-3 hours is standardb. Be sure to include time at the beginning for orientation and getting to routes and

at the end for returning from neighborhoods and debriefing


STEP 2: Tips for Recruiting Volunteers

Set a goal for the number of volunteers you want to have and plan accordinglya. Think about the area you want to cover, how long you want to be out on the streets,

your management capacity, the makeup of your neighborhood (lots of apartments, spread out houses, etc)

Restrict your pool of volunteersa. Do you want to have an age cutoff or can children be accompanied by an adult?b. Do you only want volunteers from within a certain radius of the market? c. Do you want volunteers all from the same source or pieced together from several

sources?d. Make it clear to volunteers that they will need to be able to stand and walk (or roll if

your community is handicap accessible) for the duration of the Street Team

It’s best to recruit volunteers from the community surrounding the market since they may be more influential and invested in the street team

Where to find volunteers? Here’s some ideas:a. Your regular market attendees!b. Well-known community membersc. Community centersd. Local churches/places of worshipe. Schools & Universitiesf. Mandated Community Service (Hands On Atlanta in Metro ATL area)g. Corporate Volunteer Days (banks, real estate agencies, health companies, etc)h. Youth groups (Boys & girls clubs)i. Websites (VolunteerMatch, Idealist.com, etc)

Start the search for volunteers about a month in advance of your Street Team

Make sure you have volunteers who either know the market well or have done a Street Team before that can serve as leaders when you break the big group into smaller ones (or be prepared to lead one small group yourself)

1-2 days prior to event, send out reminder email to volunteersa. Remind them to bring water & snack, wear walking shoesb. Stress the importance of being on time so street teams can leave when scheduled


STEP 3: Tips for Mapping Your Area

1. Consider your audience when deciding how to map out the area you will be canvassinga. Are you promoting the doubling of SNAP (food stamp) benefits or a SNAP enrollment

day at your market?i. Target low-income areas using http://www.usa.com/

1. Enter the zip code around the market into the Local Data Power Search2. Scroll to the bottom until you see the map3. To the right of the map, click on Census Block Groups or Census Tracts,

you will see more purple or blue pins appear on the map4. Click on the pin closest to your market, a box will pop up with the

number and population of the block group or tract5. Click on the blue underlined portion in the box (It will read something

like: Census Block Group-GA0890238012). A separate window will pop up with information specific to that bloc group or tract.

6. Look at the Median Household Income under the Basic Information tab7. Compare different Census Block Groups or Census Tracts in your area to

find neighborhoods with low Median Household Incomes8. Target these low-income neighborhoods for your Street Team

b. Are you promoting a fundraising event for the market? i. You may want to target higher income communities

1. You can use the same tool as you would for low-income areas, but select neighborhoods with the highest Median Household Incomes

2. Printing the map:a. The easiest way to print a map is to take a screenshot of the desired area for a team

from Google Maps and then print it offb. You may also paste the screenshot into a Word document and type in directions directly

below the map (See example below)

3. Break neighborhoods into smaller areas that a team of 6-8 people could cover easily in your time slot

a. Consider if you are covering large or small houses or apartments (apartments generally take longer to navigate)

b. In general, depending on response rates and the speed of your volunteers, 20 houses could take from 20-45 minutes.

c. Plan to have 1-2 people go to each house

4. Number or letter your routes (i.e. Team A, Team B) to avoid confusion

http://www.usa.com/


5. Make sure your map clearly shows major street names so volunteers can orient themselvesa. Also ensure that the streets on your map will print well in black and white

6. With each map, include directions to and from the meeting point where you will have the orientation and debriefing. Include a reference address or intersection for volunteers to plug into their GPS if needed.

7. Directions should be given to an area where volunteers can park or a good starting point if on foot.

8. Highlight the streets you want covered after you print out the map. It’s better to overestimate how much ground volunteers will cover than underestimate and have them run out of work.

9. It can also help to list the names of the streets forming the boundary you want teams to cover:a. Ex: Cover east to Main St, west to Blueberry Hill, north to Lincoln Ave and south to

Raven Dr.


Example Street Team Map:

Team A (highlight streets after printing)

Directions to parking at Smoke Rise Elementary School (1991 Silver Hill Rd. Stone Mountain, GA 30087) from [MEETING LOATION].

Take a right onto N. Indian Creek Drive. Turn right onto E. Ponce de Leon Ave (under the bridge). Turn left onto Brockett Rd (by Brockett Pub). Merge onto 78 East to the right. Take exit 7 for 236 N/Hugh Howell Rd toward Tucker. Take a sharp right onto Silver Hill Rd. School is on the right.

Cover Bahia Mar Circle to the west, Lilburn-Stone Mountain Rd to the east, Silver Hill Rd to the south. Stop canvassing at [TIME] and reverse directions to drive back to [MEETING LOCATION & ADDRESS].

Contact NAME at XXX-XXX-XXXX with any questions or concerns


STEP 4: Prepare and Print Materials

The following is a list of suggested materials and examples of each:

Maps of the areas each team will cover (see above) -----page 8a. Print enough for every two volunteers to have one (ex: for a team of 6, print 3)

Volunteer orientation agenda (and skit if desired) ----page 10a. This agenda will help to orient volunteers to the market, the community around the

market and some possible scenarios they may encounter during the street teamb. Print enough for the leader of the orientation and most, if not all of the volunteers

Script and talking points for volunteers -----page 12a. This document is a loose script that volunteers can follow until they feel comfortable

speaking on their own about the market. It can also provide answers to many questions that will be asked by community members so go over it fully in orientation

b. Print one for each volunteer

List of vendors and activities generally at your market -------page 13a. Can help volunteers have a better understanding of what is offered at your marketb. Will be useful for community members who ask about certain products available at the

marketc. Print one for each volunteer

Small flyer or postcards to hand out and put in doors ------page 14a. Should have standard information about date, time and location of your market, what is

offered, if you accept credit/debit, double EBT, etcb. Flyers may also have markers on them to track if people bring them to market to

evaluate success of the street teamc. Amount printed will vary depending on the number of volunteers and the area covered.

i. As an estimate, a volunteer group of 20 people will probably need about 550 flyers for a 2 hour street team in a standardly spaced out neighborhood


Sample Street Team Volunteer Orientation Agenda

Icebreaker activity & introductions (if small group) (5-10 minutes)

Introduction to [Your Farmers Market] and [name of community] (5-10 minutes)

How many of you have been to [NAME OF COMMUNITY/NEIGHBORHOOD OF MARKET]? How many of you have volunteered here before? Overview of [NAME OF COMMMUNITY] Overview of [YOUR FARMERS MARKET]

Skit (5-10 minutes)

(This activity helps to show volunteers how easy it is to talk with someone at their door and also some potential scenarios they may run into with a community member)

o Person 1: Intro with “How are you?”o Person 2: Respondso Person 1: General statement like “I’m here to tell you a little bit about [YOUR FARMERS

MARKET]. Have you ever visited the farmers market?

If not familiar with market go through talking points – 3 most important

The Farmers market is a place you can buy fresh, local food. The Farmers Market is held [DAY OF MARKET] from [TIME OF MARKET] at

[MARKET LOCATION & GENERAL DIRECTIONS]. The market accepts debit/credit cards and doubles food stamps (SNAP benefits).

If familiar with the market encourage them to come this week and take advantage of any special events or vendors coming. Stress the importance of continued support for the market.

o Person 2: Run through possible problematic responses & Person 1 responds appropriately

Doesn’t know where market is Person 1 gives landmark near market

Says she prefers to shop at the grocery store Person 1 suggests stopping by the market prior to the grocery store to

pick up some of the items on her list at the market and support her local community. Talks more about benefits of shopping at a farmers market

Doesn’t understand doubling program for food stamps Person 1 explains that Person 2 can bring her EBT card to the market

information booth, swipe an amount off the card and receive double that amount in tokens to spend at the market on food items (up to $50). Give an example (if you swipe your card for $20, we will give you $40 in tokens).

o Person 1: Ask if they have any questions and encourages them to visit the next market, gives them a flyer.


Rules/Guidelines (5-10 minutes)

Don’t accept an invitation to enter someone’s home. If you feel uncomfortable approaching a house, just skip it. Avoid yes/no questions Don’t ask if someone has time to talk with you, this is an easy way for them to end the

conversation before it starts. Use other talking points if conversation is going well. Remember to tell them about [SPECIAL

EVENT]. If they say they are too busy to talk or do not answer the door, leave a flyer where they can see

it. What to expect and what to do if they don’t speak English

o Be ok with a child translatingo Smile!o Speak slowly, not loudlyo Try another way to phrase your concepto Use hand gestures and body languageo Always give them a flier at the endo Have the individual repeat back what you said

Logistics

[CONTACT PERSON’S] phone number is on the bottom of the handout for questions or emergencies

Share phone numbers with each other before leaving. Leave your area around [TIME] to meet back at [MEETING SPOT] If you don’t finish your assigned location by the ending time, don’t worry. Please still return to

[MEETING SPOT] by [TIME].

Questions?


Sample Street Team Script and Talking Points

SMILE!!!!

Hello, my name is _______ and I am with [YOUR MARKET NAME]. How are you doing today? I wanted to let you know that there is a local farmers market in your community held [DAY OF WEEK] from [TIME] at [MARKET LOCATION & LANDMARK REFERENCE]. It is a free event that features fresh and prepared foods that are grown and produced locally.

4 most important talking points:

1. What is the farmers market? A place where you can buy fresh, local fruits and vegetables grown by your neighbors.

2. [Date, time and location of market]3. Spread the word to anyone you know with food stamps (SNAP/EBT), that the market

will double/match your food stamp dollars. This means that if you charge $10 on your EBT card, we will give you $20 to spend at market!

4. For more information check out our website (printed on flyer).

Talking Points to Mention

Insert specific talking points that make your market unique. Be sure to include all details and make it relevant to the next market coming up. This could include:

1- Events2- Cooking demonstrations3- Musicians playing at the market this week4- Special vendors this week

Contact Market Manager [NAME] at [EMAIL] for further questions

***FOR VOLUNTEERS: If you have any questions about anything please don’t hesitate to call [CONTACT PERSON] (XXX-XXX-XXXX)******


Sample List of Vendors for [NEXT MARKET DATE]

This is an area for you to highlight specific foods and crafts at the market. Change this with each street team to make specific to the next market coming up.

1. Global Growers Network, Taylorganics, Cabbagehead produce: Fresh, local, and sustainably grown vegetables. This week there will be okra, arugula peppers, edamame, radish, eggs, eggplant, sweet potato leaves, tomatoes, black eyed peas, beans, onions, roselle (Burmese sour leaf).

2. Mercier Orchards: North Georgia grown apples and apple cider

3. Wagon Wheel: Grass-fed and grass finished beef and dog bones.

4. Crepe Suzette: French crepes food truck.

5. Fitzgerald’s Up in Smoke: BBQ and homemade sides

6. Red Cactus Café: tamales and empanadas

7. Capra Gia Cheese Company: raw goat milk and artisan goat cheeses

8. Java Genesis: sustainably sourced coffee: hot, iced, ground and whole bean.

9. King of Pops: homemade popsicles

10. Sweet Auburn Bread: handmade from scratch bread, biscuits, muffins, pies

11. Wylde Center: organically grown plant transplants like lettuce, kale, mustard, Asian greens, broccoli and more.

12. Rapid Gourmet: canned chutneys, relishes, jams, pestos, baking mixes

13. Heavenly Breads: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods like naan, grape leaves, shwarma sandwhiches, hummus, baba ganoush.

14. SunavWorld: fair trade goods from Nepal like clothing, purses, accessories

15. Hibo: Somalian samosas. Also doing a cooking demonstration from 11-1pm

16. Kezmine Naturals: handmade soap and lotions


Sample Bulletin/Flyer Distributed on Street Teams


STEP 5: Day of Street Team

CONGRATULATIONS! You made it to the day of the Street Team! If you’ve prepared well, all you should have left to do is roll through your materials, get the volunteers excited and go out and spread the word! Below are some tips to keep your day running smoothly:

1. Welcome volunteers at a designated location.a. Have them sign in on a sheet with their name, email, organization they’re with and if

they are interested in learning more about volunteering with the market2. Wait until a majority of the volunteers have arrived but do not start more than 5-10 minutes

late. a. Late volunteers can be caught up when they are riding to the neighborhoods

3. Run through the volunteer orientation, script and list of vendors with the volunteers.a. Allow some time for questions and telling volunteers more about the market

4. Split volunteers into teams with a leader for each teama. In general, it’s best to stick with teams no larger than 10 in order to avoid confusionb. Identify a few leaders who have either been to the market before or are familiar with

the neighborhood you are canvassingc. Team leaders will:

i. Organize carpooling logistics to siteii. Split the team into smaller groups of 2-4 that will split up the mapped area

iii. Collect phone numbers if splitting up groupsiv. Answer any questions as they arisev. Ensure the street team returns on time

5. Conduct the Street Teamsa. Remind people of the time they should stop canvassing and start to return to the

meeting spot

6. Debrief with volunteersa. After conducting the street teams, it’s a great idea to debrief with volunteers. If you’re

able to, provide water and snacks to incentivize volunteers to stick around and give their feedback.

b. Hold a short discussion. Some possible questions to ask are:i. How were you generally received by people when you knocked on their door?

ii. Do you feel like people generally know about the market or not? iii. Describe one conversation you had where the person was excited to hear about

the marketiv. Describe one conversation you had where the person was not interested in the

market. v. Would you do a street team again?


c. Hand out a written survey. See the example below:

Sample Volunteer Post-Service Survey

Volunteer Opportunity:_____________________

1. How did you hear about this volunteer opportunity?

2. What part of the volunteer experience did you like the most?

3. If there was something you would do differently, what would it be?

4. Did you learn something new about this community that you didn’t know before? If so, what did you learn?

5. Please check any opportunities below that you are interested in volunteering for in the future:

___ Street Team for Clarkston Farmers Market (once a month, Saturday afternoons)___ Clarkston Farmers Market (Sundays 10am-2pm)___ Clarkston Food Pantry (once a month, Saturday mornings)___ Garden work days (varies)

6. Would you like to join our newsletter? ___ Yes, Clarkston Community Center newsletter___ Yes, Clarkston Farmers Market newsletter___ No thank you

7. If you checked any of the boxes above please provide your name, email address and phone number so we can reach out to you with more opportunities to become involved!

Name:________________________________________________________________________________Email: _______________________________________________________________________________Phone: _______________________________________________________________________________


Thank you for volunteering with the Clarkston Community Center!

STEP 6: After Street Team: Evaluate and Re-plan

It is important to determine if Street Teams are effective at getting community members to your market. This determines if it is worth it to continue to hold other Street Teams.

1. Evaluate: There are a few ways to evaluate the success of a Street Team. Each has its own pros and cons.

a. Calculate the number of flyers you distributedi. Pro : Gives you a hard number of people that you reached to evaluateii. Con : Does not determine that those people will come to market or

differentiate between flyers left in doors versus handed to a personb. Put markers on the flyers you hand out at Street Teams and tell community

members to bring the flyer to the market when they come. i. Pro : A very logical way to track exactly how many people that you talked

to on the Street Team actually came to marketii. Con : People may not remember to bring their flyer to market.

c. Do a community survey at your next market. Ask each community member as they enter or leave the market how they heard about the market

i. Pro : Can gather information quickly, does not cost any money, can track if people talked to on Street Team actually came to market

ii. Con : Customers may feel bothered or inconvenienced

2. Re-plan: If you find that your Street Team was effective, or you think you need more to measure the true effectiveness, plan another.

a. Make a schedule of regular Street Teams throughout your season (i.e. once a month)

b. Advertise this schedule throughout the season to grow the number of volunteersc. Plan to go to a different neighborhood or finish a section that wasn’t completed

in the previous Street Teamsi. You may decide to go back to the same area, but make sure to leave

plenty of time in between visits or come back with new informationd. Consider partnering with another organization to grow the number of volunteers

you have

Documents

Introduction: - · Web viewfacilitate advertising through word of mouth and help get a feel for the community surrounding a market. This toolkit serves as a suggestive guide to planning,