Ending Hunger Through Client Choice Pantries

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana and the United Way of Madison County have long worked together to provide food needed by local pantries and meal programs to ensure that our neighbors have enough to eat. Ending Hunger Through Client Choice Pantries is a collaborative effort between Second Harvest Food Bank, United Way of Madison County, Purdue University's Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP), and four food pantries in Madison County: Anderson First Friends, Elwood Community Pantry, Operation Love, and Park Place Church of God.

Funding from United Way underwrites Second Harvest's cost to distribute donated food to the pantries, allowing them to receive greater quantities of food than their budget would usually allow. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Program, a federally funded nutrition program conducted through Purdue's Cooperative Extension Service provides training to groups of interested people at each of the four pantry locations. Trained paraprofessionals teach groups of limited resource families about food and nutrition. There are 59,000 people in east central Indiana living in households too poor to meet their basic needs. Many are working women and men, others are seniors, more are children and all face days and weeks without enough food to curb their hunger. Communities can address their hunger problem most easily, effectively and cost-efficiently by simply giving the needy open access to the most readily-available food.

Client Choice is a pantry-level food distribution system that allows clients to receive significant amounts of food and maintain their dignity while using the pantry. Each client is allowed to shop from the food distributed to the pantry by Second Harvest. They are encouraged to take what they need and are allowed to select food based on their own individual preferences, needs and circumstances. When pantries use a Client Choice model for food distribution, coupled with using Second Harvest Food Bank as their main source of food, the charity food system runs at a much lower cost to the entire community and clients; needs are met through a system that respects their individuality, preserves their dignity and gives them adequate amounts of food.

Why Client Choice?

Purdue University Extension in collaboration with the Indiana TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) program researched the Client Choice method for food pantries and here is what they found. Most of us take for granted the choices we make when we go to the grocery store. We stroll down the aisles and pick from a wide variety of foods, some very nutritious and some empty calories; but the point is we are in control of what goes into the basket. This same concept can carry over into our pantries with a little bit of planning.

During the 1980’s food pantries were springing up around the US through a network of churches and community organizations. Food supplies were tight, donor networks were not in place, and USDA commodities were in short supply. The focus for pantries was on rules and restrictions and limiting the amount of food distributed. As a result, many pantries fell into the practice of pre-bagging groceries for clients from a posted list.

The old models don’t fit the lifestyles of clients today and as a result; new ways of doing business have to be found. Here are a few examples of some problems resulting from running a no choice pantry:

· A young mom is given a box of powdered milk that she doesn’t need or want. No one asked her if she is on WIC.

· A widowed man is given a sack of flour that he promptly tosses into the alley behind the pantry. Is he ungrateful? No, he simply does not know how to cook or use the flour and he was never given a choice about what went into his food bag.

· A family could have used two bags of flour, but they were never asked and received the standard one bag per family.

· A woman from another country is given flavored gelatin that she has never seen before; her children eat the powder. She would have preferred a bag of rice, but no one asked.

· An illiterate man could not read the word “corn” on a generic label. There was no picture on the label, so he threw the can away.

· An older woman with high blood pressure, diabetes and no dentures is given a bag with canned vegetables, fruit in heavy syrup and snacks she cannot chew. Most of her food bag went to a neighbor.

No matter what the income level, people need to be able to select their own foods and have control over what they eat. For two decades pantry administrators selected food they thought their clients needed in a healthy and balanced diet. Here are some of the main issues associated with the pre-bagging method:

· Often pre-bagged food is not the food most available from the food bank that supplies the pantries.

· Greater numbers of empty calorie foods such as sugared drinks and chips or other snack items are left unused at the food bank, unavailable to pantry clients and eventually as part of a land fill. This practice adds to the operational cost of the food bank and is a detriment to the environment.

· Food pantries are spending valuable resources to purchase foods that clients may not want or need, given a choice.

· Pantry bags that are done in advance tend to be very much the same. All the bags usually contain canned tuna, peanut butter, powdered milk, a pound of pasta, one can of vegetables, and one can of fruit. No two families have the same food needs or desires, so why should their bags be identical?

Let’s take a tour of some typical pantries and see what the client sees. . .

Susan is a single mother with four children. She works a full time job where she earns minimum wage. After rent and childcare, there isn’t much money left. Susan must visit the local pantry once a month out of necessity, not because of mismanaging her money.

The pantry Susan visits is very traditional and only opens one afternoon a week. Since she works during the day, coming to the pantry requires her to leave work a half-hour early once a month to wait in line and receive food. This pantry allows clients to come only once a month and every time Susan visits the pantry, she is required to bring a social security card, proof of income, proof of residency, children’s birth certificates and rental expenses.

When Susan arrives at the pantry, she must be cleared at the check-in desk, and then quickly is shuttled into a line where she is handed two bags of groceries for her family. After waiting in a 20-minute line, she is inside the pantry for about 3 minutes and her interaction with the pantry volunteers is nearly non-existent. When she gets home, she finds the traditional items in her bag:

1 box of cereal 1 box of pasta

1 carton dry milk 1 jar of spaghetti sauce

1 bag of rice 3 cans of tuna

1 can of peaches 1 jar of peanut butter

1 box of donuts

Susan is happy to receive some foods, but at the same time she wonders how these two bags of groceries are supposed to feed her family for the month. She also knows her children will not eat the tuna because they don’t like the taste of the oil packed tuna.

Barbara is another single mother with several children and a low-paying job. Barbara’s story is very much like Susan’s except Barbara has the advantage of traveling to a “Client Choice” food pantry. At Barbara’s food pantry, she can come as often as she needs food. Some months she comes 2-3 times, other months she won’t come at all, and since the pantry is open a variety of days and hours, she never has to worry that she can’t get to the pantry. After a quick check-in, she is then given a couple of empty bags and escorted by a volunteer through the aisles of food. Her options include tomato products, condiments, soups, ice cream, bread, pastries, cake mixes, personal care items, and cleaning supplies. While choosing the food items, Barbara shares the children’s school pictures, as well as recipes, with the pantry volunteers. When Barbara comes home, she realizes she wasn’t expecting to come home with shampoo and salad dressing, but now she knows she will be able to afford milk for the children’s cereal. Barbara has come to view her food pantry and the wonderful volunteers almost as an extension of her family.

Methods of Client Choice Food Pantries

Going to a food pantry and asking for help to feed your family isn’t easy. Food is such a basic need and while accepting a pre-packed food bag can be greatly appreciated, giving your clients the ability to choose food their family prefers, gives them the feeling that they still have some control at this difficult time in their life.

There are several methods of Client Choice: the point system, total number of items method, and the item list method.

The Point System – Clients are allocated points depending on their family size. The point system is based on what the item would cost at the grocery store. Items are color-coded using inexpensive dot stickers making it easy for everyone to see.

Total Number of Items method – Each family is allocated a total number of items to choose based on family size. There are no constraints except for the available amount of food. For instance, shelf tags may read “No more than 3 meat items per family” in order to keep enough stock available for the average number of families served by the pantry.

Item List method – This is the least preferred method. The pantry provides the clients a list of available items on paper and let them choose from that list. The volunteer then pulls the requested items from the shelf and bags them for the client. There are several disadvantages to this method. If the client has trouble reading or has English as a second language, there can be difficulties. If there is a limited selection of items, the list will quickly get out of date. If a client circles “green beans” and there aren’t any, then either the volunteer chooses an alternative selection or extra time is taken asking the client to look at the list again. Most people prefer to physically touch the foods they want rather than choose from a list.

Local Models of Client Choice Pantries

Model A

Operation Love, Inc. operates a client choice pantry on Wednesday’s 9:30 – 11:30 AM and 1:30 – 3:30 PM. An emergency food pantry is open on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:30 – 11:30 AM and 1:30 – 3:30 PM. With an approach modeled after a grocery store, volunteers assist clients through shelving units in the pantry.

As clients enter the pantry they are given bags to fill. They are then invited to shop from the shelves, choosing what they want to take. Some limits are imposed as to the number of individual items allowed. Volunteers, called “caregivers” are encouraged to offer help to the clients to ensure they are treated with respect and dignity. Caregivers may assist clients throughout the entire process including help out to the client’s vehicle. The caregivers provide an open and friendly atmosphere that seems to set the clients at ease.

Serving 110 households a week, each household is invited to receive food twice a month. Households are screened through an application on the first visit. A file is kept to track the frequency of the client’s needs.

Because of increased traffic, Operation Love has encouraged clients to use the pantry throughout the day instead of waiting outside and causing a bottleneck at 9:00am.

Model B

Elwood Community Pantry, housed within the George Morrisett Community Services Center, operates a client choice pantry. The pantry is open Monday evening from 6-7:30 PM and Wednesday and Friday mornings from 10-12:00 PM. With an approach modeled after a grocery store, 25 volunteers rotate schedules to facilitate the client’s pantry experience. The Morrisett Center has a large and comfortable waiting area. After shopping, clients leave through a garage door that leads to a loading area.

When a client enters the shopping area a grocery cart is offered, and bags to be filled are given in proportion to the number of household members. Clients are invited to choose items from grocery shelving and are asked if they would like certain refrigerated and frozen items. Most items are offered with no limitations.

Serving 250 - 300 families a month, each household is invited to receive food twice a month. A file is kept for each household to ensure the twice a month policy. Upon arrival, the client is greeted and screened to determine whether or not this is a first visit. If it is a first visit, an application asking for name, address, and number in household is completed. Return clients are checked through the filing system.

In the application process, clients are encouraged to utilize as many community services for which they are eligible. This process allows pantry personnel to suggest services such as the Food Stamp Program.

Model C

Anderson First Friends Church operates a client choice pantry every Monday night from 6-7:30 PM. Through planning and experience they have developed a smooth running approach that serves 150 families weekly. Using 16-20 volunteers, First Friends Pantry is set up in the hallway that connects the fellowship hall and the sanctuary. Pallets of food are delivered by Second Harvest Food Bank on pantry day; other product is brought from storage areas in the church and stationed on one side of the hallway.

The 150 families are invited into the sanctuary in preparation for receiving a number, given randomly, which indicates the group with which they will move through the pantry. As they wait, they are given instructions and announcements. Financial screening is not required, but a picture ID is necessary.

When a number group is called the guests are ushered into the fellowship hall to wait for registration. Once registered, they are invited to begin the pantry walk. When on the pantry walk, guests are given the choice of which items they would like. Products with smaller quantities may have a limit of distribution to each guest, but many items are offered so that guests can take as much or little as they choose. Clients may receive food twice a month.

Throughout the pantry experience, the guests are greeted warmly and treated with respect. Help is offered at every point, as volunteers are stationed to meet the needs of guests. There is a festive feel to the process that seems to set the guests at ease. Handicapped clients are given the opportunity to be served first.

Anderson First Friends has addressed issues for improved management and usage of the food pantry. They have brought in a translator once a month for the Spanish speaking clients. With increased numbers, traffic and parking became a recurring concern. To ease the flow of traffic, the pantry uses volunteers and a security guard to direct incoming cars and solve potential troubles as they arise.

Model D

Park Place Church of God operates a client choice pantry every weekday. This is the smallest of the four client choice pantries with a pantry space of only 7 ½ ‘ by 11 ½’. The pantry is opened Monday through Friday from 1-2:00 PM. With the help of 2-3 volunteers daily, the pantry efficiently serves 145 or more households a week. A voucher system was previously used to verify a client’s need for food. Since they have been accepting clients without vouchers, they have been serving larger numbers of households.

Pantry clients form a line and are seated as they wait their turn. Photo ID is required for the clients. Once a client is processed, he or she steps up to the pantry closet and is invited to choose food from prescribed options. The food for the pantry is held in a large closet with a split or Dutch door. One or two volunteers stand within the closet and hand chosen items to the client, and the client places those items in a bag or box.

Park Place Church of God has a streamlined approach to the food pantry. The process is orderly and well organized. Clients may come to the food pantry every two weeks.

In addition to the tiny space for the pantry, Park Place Church of God has a storage room to store the cases of product.

Nutrition Education and Food Safety

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Program, a federally funded nutrition program conducted through Purdue University’s Cooperative Extension Service provides training to groups of interested people at each of the four pantry locations. The Madison County Cooperative Extension Service is collaborating with four local food pantries to present food and nutrition programs to clients who visit the food pantries. The program includes a series of 4 two-hour lessons that cover topics such as Saving money on food, Basic food preparation, the Food Guide Pyramid, Label reading, Planning meals, Shopping for food, Food Safety, Breakfast & Snacks, and Feeding Children. There have been 89 pantry clients who have graduated from these nutrition classes.

The graduates have truly learned to change their way of shopping, food budgeting, and to read the nutrition labels on food products.

One graduate states, “I’ve learned I need to plan healthy meals and snacks for myself and my daughter, and how to make my groceries last longer. I also learned to thaw my meat in the refrigerator.”

“I have learned how to budget and prepare food better. I have also tried new foods and enjoyed them, as well.”

I have learned, “that just because the meat isn’t pink inside doesn’t mean that the bacteria is cooked out. Using the thermometer is necessary.”

“Most importantly, I have learned (1) to keep food safe, (2) watch serving size, (3) read food label, (4) how to thaw food/meat, and (5) the importance of washing hands thoroughly.”

Waste Not—Want Not

In 1994, Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank of West Michigan in collaboration with the local United Way and Michigan State University Extension, began the research for the Waste Not—Want Not method. The research project examined barriers to success at the agency level and barriers to success in the fight against hunger at the food bank level. Here are some of the findings from the Waste Not—Want Not research. America's food industry produces an estimated $31 billion per year in surplus production and useable discards....which are potentially available to America's charity food distribution organizations as they struggle to address an estimated $11 billion per year need for food assistance.

One in ten Americans needs food assistance annually, and hunger remains a very widespread problem everywhere, but little ( only $1-2 billion per year ) of that bonanza of available food reaches those in need.

Waste Not—Want Not research in Grand Rapids, Michigan produced the following key findings:

• Half of all food given out in standardized boxes is likely thrown out or given away by recipients who would have readily declined those specific things if anyone had bothered to ask them

• Clients universally find receiving standardized food boxes humiliating

• Clients almost universally prefer the Food Bank’s inventory, as haphazard a collection of odds and ends as it might appear to be, to the normal standardized food box’s well-planned, well-balanced contents

• Giving clients access to the full array of the Food Bank’s inventory is the lynchpin of ending hunger.

If we are willing to give the needy free access to what is available, we have enough to meet their needs. But if we withhold from the clients vast quantities of what is available because it isn’t on somebody’s standardized food box menu, we will never have enough.

Waste Not-Want Not Action Steps³

STEP 1—Reduce the cost of charity food by 25% by replacing food drives with fund drives.

Food collections rank as likely the least cost-effective way food can be gathered. Not only has the giver paid full price for the goods donated and so has achieved only dollar-for-dollar performance from the amount spent, but because of how difficult it is to document gifts of purchased food as charitable contributions, it is rare/impossible for the giver to take any sort of tax deduction for their gift. In a large community where likely between $400,000 and $1,000,000 is being spent per year on purchasing food for food drives, that means that between $100,000 and $250,000 per year which could have gone for food will go for taxes instead. Can your community afford to pay a 25% tax on your charitable giving? If you give to charity in a way that precludes your taking a deduction on the gift then that is exactly what you have done.

STEP 2—Leverage ten times more food per dollar by using the Food Bank’s donated food resources at an optimal level.

Waste Not-Want Not research has shown that hungry families only very, very rarely need any particular specific item or items. If a variety of items of that same food group category are available (as they generally are from most Food Banks), people are generally quite willing and able to make do with related substitutes, particularly if that entails their being permitted to choose between items. For example, historically many pantries insisted on giving out white bread, and would buy it at the store no matter how many tons of English muffins, rolls, hot dog buns or pita bread the Food Bank might have available at a fraction of the cost. That sort of purchasing is unsustainable and not justified by any need.

The Bottom Line: Food pantries should purchase food (or ask their supporters to purchase food) only when a specific client has a specific pressing need which cannot be met any other way.

STEP 3—More than double the effectiveness of food distribution programs by dispensing food via user-friendly “client-choice” distribution systems.

For a whole variety of reasons many food pantries coming into the welfare reform era are still providing food to their clients via partially or totally standardized boxes. While different size families might get different total quantities, essentially every family is given the same pre-selected, and often pre-bagged array of food.

STEP 4—Use Food Bank food to leverage ten times as much help for people in need whenever food can play a role in their specific situation.

As the Waste Not - Want Not research documented just how much food is available to and from the Food Bank ( more than five times as much as it was handling ), how readily it meets clients' needs ( twice as likely as standardized food boxes ) and how marvelously using the Food Bank food leverages even small amounts of money into huge amounts of help ( $1  :  $10-$20 ), we found ourselves drawn to considering other unmet needs in the community and talking with clients about food's capacity to perhaps address otherwise unmet needs.

STEP 5—Reduce pressure on local resources by informing clients of available State Federal assistance programs.

Historically, only a fraction of people eligible for various sorts of assistance programs actually apply for and receive that help. The largest single reason for peoples’ not applying for or receiving it has always been that they simply didn’t know it existed, or that they might be eligible, or how or where to apply for it.

When eligible people do not receive such help (food stamps, WIC, SSI, etc.), they and the local community are hurt in at least three major ways:

· The person or family suffers more than they need to;

· Absent their receiving the outside help they qualified for, they can become an additional burden on local charity resources; and

· The local economy does not receive that infusion of outside dollars.

For more information about the Waste Not—Want Not research visit: http://www.wmgleaners.org/

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is an affiliate of America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. Through a network of over 200 food banks and food-rescue programs, America's Second Harvest provides emergency food assistance to more than 23 million hungry Americans each year, nine million of whom are children.

America’s Second Harvest is located in Chicago, Illinois.

For more information visit their website at www.secondharvest.org.