Do People Work Less When They’re Food Secure?

“I might not see you again,” one client solemnly informed me the other day at our food pantry.

This sounds foreboding, but it’s a statement I hear somewhat regularly, and is cause for celebration. This shopper was telling me about his new job and how he hoped once he got his first paycheck, he might not need our food pantry services any longer.

One of the main concerns that people often voice about food pantries and emergency food assistance is that providing aid disincentivizes hard work. There’s an assumption that receiving any help facilitates laziness and exploitation (based on the faulty belief that poverty is a personal choice rather than systemic failure).

In my experience, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  My clients proudly tell me how long they managed to go without visiting a food pantry, whether it was weeks or months. They share with excitement when a household member gets a raise or a new job that empowers them to visit less or stop coming altogether. I hear gratitude for our services, but real enthusiasm in their voices at the prospect of no longer utilizing our help.

Food assistance has never been, and will never be, a disincentive to work.

Although the cost of food is ridiculously high, the other costs of living like healthcare and housing mandate that people have a source of income even when food is easily available. Providing food assistance does not encourage anyone to be lazy.

Why does this idea persist?

One of my regular clients works nights in the warehouse for a certain online global retailer, and they often come to the pantry after their shift and take a nap while waiting in line before we open. Sleeping at 9am in front of the food pantry may look lazy to some, which is why it’s so important we check all our biases at the door.

Food pantries tend to have awkward hours, based on the availability of volunteers rather than the times people experiencing hunger need access to food. Because volunteers are predominantly retirees, this may mean pantry hours are better suited to serving people who are un- or underemployed than full-time workers. My own pantry is open weekdays from 10am-2pm, which are legitimately difficult hours for someone working a full-time job, especially when you consider the long line that sometimes has clients waiting for up to an hour. Because of this scheduling challenge, pantries may self-select a clientele that is not working full time or a traditional work schedule, which can reinforce community biases that our services enable laziness.

Why Food Assistance Doesn’t Disincentivize Work:

Our food pantry will never have all the essentials for someone to comfortably feed themselves without doing their own shopping.

Pantries rarely have things like spices to make a meal taste good, and we’re chronically low on staples such as cooking oil, salt, and coffee. There are very few opportunities for a food pantry to completely free its’ clients from buying any food. Almost all food pantry clients must spend some money on food to make their diet palatable and healthy.

Even if our food pantry had exceptionally good food options, the high cost of living in our area demands other sources of income.

The Portland-Metro area has astronomically high housing costs, which means even people with full-time jobs may not be able to afford food after they’ve paid their rent and utility bills.

After food, the number one request for resources we get is for housing assistance. And tragically, options are limited. There’s often little I can do for a worried family besides making sure that they have as much food as I can give them. There is no scenario where I give them so much food that they can reduce their hours or quit their job.

If you, my reader, make enough money to cover your basic needs, why do you keep trying to do better?

My guess is you have goals, both monetary and professional, that you hope to achieve, and you know they require hard work, time, and dedication. Why does society think people who use food assistance are any different from you?  

---

Many of the assumptions we carry about people experiencing hunger are based on the premise that people living in poverty are fundamentally different- in their goals, their version of success, and the pathways they take to get there. While it’s important to appreciate the diversity of visions within our community, this concept of fundamental differences is used to justify the idea that our own success stems from hard work rather than systemic advantages.

Understanding and eradicating hunger starts with recognizing that people experiencing hunger want all the same things anyone does- safe, comfortable housing, delicious, nutritious meals, a healthy work-life balance, and the opportunity to treat themselves every once in a while. Calling out the myth that food assistance facilitates laziness helps us advance the real work to ending hunger- ensuring everyone has access to the same advantages and wins.

The opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

Want to learn more about food justice? Subscribe so you never miss a post!