Food Pantry System Needs an Overhaul

categories: Cities, Guest Bloggers, Hunger, Jobs & Unemployment, News, Nonprofits, Research, Social Programs

Published October 26, 2009 @ 10:05AM PT

With many food pantries around the country being operated by "little old ladies in sneakers," hunger advocates are beginning to worry about who will staff these indispensable operations once an exceedingly aging volunteer base can no longer do it.

After popping up in major cities and small towns alike during the 1970s, food pantries are now being hit with the greatest increase in demand (which has risen between 30 and 70 percent over the past year) they have ever experienced. This is especially troublesome for the elderly volunteers whose bodies simply cannot work any faster or harder.

Many are hoping that as the civically-minded baby boomer generation heads toward retirement, a new group of hunger activists will begin to pick up the slack. It's certainly good news that out of the three billion hours baby boomers spent volunteering last year, nearly 25 percent of that time went to collecting or distributing food.

However, with the recession wiping out many retirement accounts, there's no guarantee that baby boomers will be able to actually leave their paying jobs for the volunteer realm anytime soon.

Part of the solution to resource and staff constraints in hunger organizations is to become more efficient and collaborative. This is the strategy that Philabundance -- the Delaware Valley's largest hunger relief agency -- has recently started to pursue.

In addition to working together with regional organizations like the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, Philabundance has taken a page from the University District Food Bank's playbook and is beginning to open up food pantries that let clients choose exactly what kind of food they receive.

Beyond making the food pantry experience a bit more dignified, the "self-serve" model also improves organizational efficiency by having the clients select the food for themselves (instead of needing volunteers/staff to pack up individual bags).

With manpower likely to be in short supply, at least in the near future, it will be imperative for the entire food assistance network (pantries, distribution centers, etc.) to continue to test out innovative new approaches to feeding the hungry.

(Photo credit: Walter Schwabe (@fusedlogic) on Flickr)

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Comments (3)

This reminds me of a story I heard from a food pantry I've worked with through my employment at a food bank. This one particular pantry was run by a single man with few family and friends and even fewer volunteers. He got up there in years and eventually was struck by a heart attack (or something, I can't remember the specific ailment.) In the ambulance, knowing death was near, the poor old man grabbed the paramedic by the shirt mustering just enough energy to tell him to demand the local town councilor to ensure the pantry remain up and running - feeding about one hundred people a month (small town.) He died on the way to the hospital.

The paramedic did as requested and the pantry is fine.

I visit over 600 agencies across our state... many of which are food pantries. I would comfortably say that most of them are run by the elderly. However, when ever something like this happens... there's always someone who hears about it and steps up to take their place. I'm not suggesting that the pantry model is fine... it's just an observation I've made.

Posted by Jeremy Keith Hammond on 10/26/2009 @ 02:23PM PT
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Oh yeah, Greg, this is a hot topic because it is so true in many places I've seen.

Are "youngsters" too busy with their social networks? Have they lost the sense of volunteerism?

From the pix I thought your blog was going to be about the less-nutritious food that sometimes is the normal fare at pantries.

Posted by Diane Nilan on 10/26/2009 @ 06:29PM PT
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Hi,

We provide food to close to 7,000 people each month. Our volunteer corps is a mix of retirees, stay-at-home moms, people experiencing lay-off from employement, etc. We have gone to full client choice and have done so successfully. We implemented this practice approximately 8 years ago, primarily to offer a more dignified way for our clients to select their food. It has been a great way to operate and, despite the number of people served, very efficient. We are open 7 times per week and, because of the times that we are open, can't always get younger people or working individuals on the schedule because the majority of our hours of operation are during the typical work day. However, when we do have opening that are night or weekend hours, they get snapped up immediately by our youth and/or working volunteers.

Posted by Karen Tredwell on 11/02/2009 @ 01:44PM PT
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Author

Greg Plotkin is currently a grant-writer living in Washington, DC. As a two-year AmeriCorps member teaching in DC Public Schools, he saw families struggling with poverty on a daily basis and has become particularly interested in hunger, nutrition and food access issues. He has also viewed poverty through the lens of his work with Habitat for Humanity and Charlie's Place--a DC soup kitchen and homeless support center.