Food Pantry Consumers in the Great Recession

Background

For many low-income families’ food assistance programs has been part of their budgets and household management strategies for some time as well as selling plasma, stretching resources and borrowing from family and friends

Yet, during the Great Depression the state commissaries that distributed commodities were looked on by federal authorities as the most demeaning option among a number including public works and cash assistance. (Hopkins, 1938)

Study objectives

1. To better understand the reasons that cause consumer to use food pantries
2. To explore psychological aspects of food pantry receipt
3. To better understand the challenges to self-sufficiency that food pantry customers face. 

 Research Question

What factors predict contribute to the need to use food pantries as a source of groceries and what psychological and other barriers are faced by food pantry customers that prevent them from becoming self-sufficient?.

Methods:

 This preliminary study used a written questionnaire, inserted in the grocery bags of food pantry recipients. Participants completed the survey instrument and returned it by U.S. mail. The sample consisted of the customers using a food pantry in early 2011.

Survey Instrument

The survey included both open and closed questions and provided opportunities for respondents to provide additional information, if the existing choices were not sufficient.  To facilitate maximum potential response the survey used nontechnical language and was designed to only cover two sides of a sheet of paper.  

 Statistical procedures

            The data was entered in SPSS and descriptive statistics were generated.

Results

             Two hundred and twenty-four questionnaires were distributed. Thirty-seven responses were received for a response rate of 16.5%. The survey covered the following areas: demographics, length of use of food pantries, reasons for using food pantries, adequacy of food pantries, impressions of what conditions would have to alter such that participants would no longer need food pantry assistance and questions related to income dynamics during the recession.

 On average food pantry consumers in this sample had been using food pantries in excess of 3 years (39.9 months, N=37), 45.9% also used food stamps, A majority of respondents were either disabled or elderly and were receiving some type of income assistance, Reasons for using food pantries included high utility bills (45.9%, N=37), high cost of medicine (32.4%), inadequacy of food stamps and either the loss of a job or insufficient hours. Nearly a third of respondents had a job prior to the recession 70% of those lost their jobs. Nearly half of respondents reported that if they could get a better paying job or more hours they may not have to use a food pantry.

 Conclusions and Implications:  

This sample demonstrated significant financial strain and job loss. Further research is needed to better understand decision-making related to food pantry use. Potential policy remedies might include aggressive campaigns to expand food stamp participation, raising the minimum wage, reforming Social Security to raise minimum payments and address the problem of low income workers who retired early during the recession.

Reference

Hopkins, H. (1936) Spending to Save. WW Norton: New York