September 2024 – Reintroducing justice and dignity to the fight to end hunger

How Hunger-Free Communities Benefit Us All

Today is the last day of Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness about the prevalence and reality of hunger in America. I firmly believe that the way we think about hunger is the primary obstacle to solving it, so this month I have focused on challenging the assumptions we’ve been conditioned to accept, and offering new tools for taking those ideas out into the world.

In today’s political climate, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that someone who doesn’t agree with you has completely different goals and interests. Election season is the prime time for the media and political campaigns to capitalize on fears that someone else’s interests diverge too far from our own to ever find compromise.

Despite the division that permeates much of the public sphere, the reality is that we have more goals in common than we have differences. We all want crime to drop, and to enjoy clean air and safe water. We want our neighborhood schools to be recognized for their excellence, and to find jobs that align with our values and appreciate our skills. We want a world where we can celebrate that hard work and dedication got us to where we are today, without a hint of unearned advantages. No matter which side of the political spectrum you land on, these are common aspirations for people all over the world.

We run into conflict when we decide that other people don’t have these shared goals. This “othering” helps us justify targeted or unfair treatment.

I regularly hear people worry about individuals using food pantries who don’t really need the food, a fear commonly used to justify harsh restrictions and limitations on access. I like to ask the worried person if they have ever used a food pantry when they didn’t need to, and they always recoil in offense. “Absolutely not!”

When asked what makes them different from someone regularly shopping at a food pantry, there’s no answer.

Our society is quick to sort people into winners vs. losers, with little consideration for how naïve and destructive this tendency really is. Our world is better when our neighbors are food secure, which means when we treat people experiencing hunger poorly, we have a negative impact upon our own lives.

Whatever we believe about what an individual has earned or deserves, a well-fed, healthy neighborhood is safer, more stable, and has a stronger community.

We all benefit from ensuring the people around us have the food they need to thrive, no matter what conditions lead to that security.

It is short-sighted to sacrifice our own well-being just because we believe others don’t deserve the help. Fighting hunger benefits everyone

Food secure communities experience less crime and violence.

Well-nourished students learn better and are less disruptive to their peers, which benefits the entire classroom.

Food insecurity and diet related diseases increase strain on our already not-awesome healthcare system, and the high costs push our neighbors into financial crises that taxpayers must help cover. Nourished families improve healthcare for everyone.

Food insecurity often precedes houselessness, so active efforts to fight hunger can reduce the number of people in our cities and communities who are unhoused.

It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where too many people would rather deal with the negative implications of hunger rather than solve the problem, just so that someone doesn’t get help we don’t think they’ve earned.

As we wrap up Hunger Action Month and head into the height of election fever, I implore you to remind your communities that hunger hurts everyone, including ourselves, and that fighting and preventing hunger is one of the most effective ways we can enhance the quality, stability, and dignity of our own lives.

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

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The Seasonal Cycle of Fighting Hunger

September is Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness about the prevalence and reality of hunger in America. I firmly believe that the way we think about hunger is the primary obstacle to solving it, so this month I am focusing on challenging the assumptions we’ve been conditioned to accept, and offer new tools for taking those ideas out into the world.

We have just started getting real autumnal weather here in Portland, Oregon. Heavy dark clouds unleashed a torrential downpour the other evening, and it’s starting to stay cool enough to keep my socks and sweatshirt on all day- a sure sign that summer is ending (I’m so ready!) Along with the weather, kids are in school again and it feels like my neighborhood is settling back down into a standard work routine.

In alignment with the season, anti-hunger organizations are also gearing up for the next phase of their work. For many nonprofits, September through December are the busiest months of the year thanks to holiday drives, donation campaigns, and increased need for services.

In my food pantries, it always very much felt like the transition from August to September went from 0 to 100 mph overnight as the needs of clients, donors, and volunteers all skyrocket simultaneously. This year is likely to be no different as our nation continues to face inflation, inaccessible housing costs, and a host of other challenges that leaves too many people food insecure.

While hunger is an increasingly chronic problem in the United States, there remains a certain seasonality to our efforts to fight it.

The needs of our neighbors and our ability to offer emergency food services fluctuate based on the time of year in a way that may not be immediately apparent to an onlooker.

Fall

With summer over and routines reestablished, it often seems like a regular food pantry visit returns to the schedule for many families. Food pantries often experience significant increases in clients from September through December.

In addition, the arrival of cold and harsh weather increases the cost of utilities which quickly depletes household budgets. Pantries and anti-hunger organizations see the greatest number of requests for nonfood items like rental assistance, bus passes, and warm clothing during this time. Few pantries have adequate resources to offer meaningful support on these, which increases the need and desire to give out as much food as possible.

Luckily, the onset of soup weather often increases shoppers’ interest in canned goods that they can store away for an emergency or supplement with the odds and ends they find at the pantry.

This season also includes numerous holidays that specifically celebrate certain foods. For many households who are just getting by, accessing something like a turkey or ham may be beyond their reach. Food pantries will often see clients who only visit once a year for these specialty items.

How to support your local pantry:

Donate food. Many pantries are already making plans for their holiday distributions, so consider reaching out to find out what communities are served and what foods help them celebrate their culture and connections.

Winter

Increasingly bad weather makes waiting in line and shopping at a food pantry more difficult, which means pantries often see more unpredictable attendance. Additionally, in the same way that shoppers clean out a grocery store in the face of a winter storm, pantries experience the same. The weather continues to demand increased spending on utilities, clothing, and holiday gifts which amplifies the challenges that food pantry clients face.

This is the time of year when people are most interested in volunteering, which places huge demands on employees to facilitate volunteer orientation, training, and ongoing support. Be sympathetic if staff are slow to get back to your inquiries about volunteering and remember that a thousand other people have just done the same thing too!

How to support your local pantry:

Donate nonperishable funds or foods, including holiday specific foods.

Set a reminder in your phone to sign up to volunteer in January or later in the year, when the onslaught of volunteers evaporates but food insecurity continues.

Spring

In my experience, spring is the most routine and predictable season for fighting hunger. Many people are struggling to financially recover from the winter holidays, which means pantries have more consistent visits from clients.

Improving weather makes interruptions in food supply less likely and makes it more pleasant for clients to wait in line and access the pantry.

How to support your local pantry:

Host a food drive. The holidays often clean pantries out of their staples and specialty items, and it takes a while to recover.

Summer

All the data indicates that food insecurity rates tend to increase during the summer when kids are out of school and lose access to free meals (although hopefully this is less likely with the implementation of SUN Bucks). Anecdotally, I’ve always found that my food pantries instead saw a drop in attendance, which I attribute to more erratic schedules with kids home from school and hot weather that makes it more uncomfortable to travel and wait in line.

How to support:

Volunteer! This is the time that volunteers go on vacation, which means more pantries are scrambling to meet their minimum staffing needs. Unfortunately, people generally only think about seasonal volunteering during the winter holidays, but if you really want to make a difference, summer is the time!

If your garden has excess produce, many food pantries will enthusiastically accept it. Just remember that if you don’t want to eat it (like wormy apples or nickel-sized green tomatoes), pantry clients don’t want to either!

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

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How Food Pantry Accessibility Fights Hunger

This photo shows a woman from the back walking down a wide flight of stairs

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour a food pantry I’d never been to before. Walking up to the building, I found myself worrying about how I would find it. I’d been given the building address, but no further directions. I assumed I’d have to make my way through a labyrinth of corridors and ask for help to get to my meeting on time. Stepping through the front door, I was pleasantly surprised to see pantry shelves directly ahead of me.

Photo looks down a stairwell in a musty old building

Upon reflection, I realized that I had imagined this pantry would be in the basement. My default assumption is that food pantries are in spaces that no one else wants. Accustomed to working with organizations looking to squeeze their services in wherever they can rather than where is easiest for shoppers, I struggle to envision a pantry anywhere else but a church basement.

Food pantries, as underfunded and underappreciated programs, have long been relegated to areas where they won’t get in anyone else’s way. Although I absolutely recognize that limited budgets demand the use of free space wherever available, this still presents real challenges for making food services accessible to everyone.

The physical placement and design of food pantries has a significant influence on how accessible they are for the people who need their services the most.

When pantries are in spaces no one else wants, it’s often because those spaces are hard to access or navigate, like the basement I assumed I was looking for.

Shows a shelf of fresh produce displayed in plastic bins, including peppers, apples, oranges, peppers and carrots

People with disabilities already face extra barriers to food security, including discrimination in employment and healthcare, and finding safe and accessible housing. Many of my previous food pantry clients have shared with me the inadequacy of their disability benefits (when they were able to get them), which meant emergency food assistance programs were often their only food resource. But this requires finding a pantry that can accommodate their individual needs.

Households with a member with a disability experience higher hunger rates than households without. Even with the protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), many services and venues are not easily accessible to everyone, like food pantries in basements, which is why too many people continue to experience hunger.

Food pantries often require clients to wait in long lines, walk long winding hallways and staircases or ride in rickety elevators, and then carry a heavy selection of food home. These are all barriers for many people, and not just individuals with disabilities.

The systems that food pantries use to accommodate their awkward locations in many cases have made it harder for everyone to access. By focusing on how we can increase accessibility for people with the greatest barriers, we reduce obstacles to food security for everyone.

How we can make food pantries more physically accessible:

–Manage the wait in line. As well as being physically demanding, waiting in a long pantry line often contributes to tension and stress as people worry about time and whether there’s enough food. Long lines are a significant challenge for many pantries, but there are several options for changing the system.

Shows the feet of people waiting in a long long outside on the pavement in summertime

I’ve seen some pantries switch to handing out numbers to clients at an assigned time before opening so that people don’t have to physically wait in line. This model does require a staff member or volunteer to support and supervise before the pantry opens, which can be hard.

Also consider where people line up. Standing in line for extended periods of time can be hard on anyone, and act as a deterrent for those with physical limitations. Is the space covered to protect against sun and rain? Is there anywhere for people to sit? Can shoppers save their spot with a bag or box while they sit in their car? This practice risks accusations of cutting, but can be the most practical, especially on bad weather days where no one should be standing outside.

Shows a woman in a heavy coat helping load groceries into the car for a man in a wheelchair

–Shopping the pantry. How easy is it to get to and move around in the space? Pantries don’t need to be big, but they do need to be able to accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices, and several people at once for those who need support. One of my first food pantries was up on a high school auditorium stage, which required shoppers to walk up a long winding corridor, weave their way across the stage, and then walk down a short flight of stairs with their full box of food. Retrospectively, this was a terribly inaccessible setup.

Wheelchair accessibility often receives the most attention because it is a highly visible aid, but it’s important to remember the diversity of needs for people experiencing hunger. Is there room for shoppers to be accompanied by a caregiver or support person? Do volunteers know how to behave around a service animal? Is the space well-lit, ventilated, and calm and quiet? Are there volunteers who know American Sign Language (ASL)? I am regularly surprised at how many volunteers know ASL, and how often we needed them.

Shows an African American woman smiling and using sign language with another woman with her back to the camera

–How do shoppers collect their food? If an individual can’t carry a basket or push a shopping cart, is there help available? Are volunteers trained to offer appropriate and respectful support in these circumstances? Are there people to help get their food to the car, or to bring the shopping cart back in?

I’ve seen many pantries offer prepacked boxes or menus for people who cannot access the full pantry, (like my model on the auditorium stage) and while offering alternative systems is important, we need to be careful in how they are administered. How do shoppers find out about these options? Too often, these kinds of options are only offered to people with visible disabilities. Does everyone still have access to the full range of foods? I recommend advertising and making alternative access options available to everyone, no questions asked. Boxes can potentially be packed at the beginning of distribution to simplify the process.

–Is the food accessible? Accessible pantries offer a diversity of selections. While we should absolutely continue to increase the supply of fresh produce and whole foods, not everyone can use these. Prepared and instant foods are valuable for people who are busy or have physical limitations that influence their ability to prepare food. Can shoppers make their own food choices, and is there flexibility? Rigid limits may mean people have to visit more often to stay nourished. If making the trip to the food pantry is already difficult, this only adds to the obstacles they face.

Do food options accommodate for special diets or allergens? There’s increasing energy in the industry for signage identifying these foods, but it does require training teams on the specifics, and conversations with clientele to learn the specific needs of your community.

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

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We Can’t Fight Hunger With Food Shaming

As a woman, I often receive unwanted public attention towards my food choices. If I order a salad, critiques range from how I must be watching my weight to compliments for making the healthy choice. When I order a steak, someone may congratulate me for not caring what other people think or they may offer some gross innuendo about the carnality of eating meat. My food choices are judged and discussed as if they are appropriate for public discussion.

While women generally receive the bulk of commentary about what they eat, it doesn’t mean that men don’t experience this. Overall, America’s obsession with diet culture means that our food choices are regularly evaluated by others, no matter who we are. People buying junk food are criticized for their ignorance of healthy eating, but people sticking to an organic, local diet are similarly castigated for being elitist and bougie.

No matter how we choose to eat, someone somewhere is comfortable announcing why we’re wrong.

Our society tends to treat foods as either good or bad with no middle ground, and we categorize people who eat those foods the same way. This fosters stigmatization and discrimination against people whose choices we disagree with.

This problem quickly becomes apparent in food pantries. It’s essential to remember that the foods most available to food pantries (even the ones doing their best to be healthy!) are the cheapest and least healthy- the “bad” foods. Even when pantry clients have few other options, it’s easy for volunteers and staff to make negative assumptions about individuals based on their selection of food. Fostering negative attitudes about shoppers inevitably manifests a less positive environment, and can unintentionally facilitate other discriminatory attitudes.

Alongside a desire to offer our opinions, there is a parallel desire to control what people experiencing poverty eat.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the efforts to add restrictions to SNAP limiting the purchase of unhealthy junk foods (which completely ignore the reality that healthy food costs more- we need to raise SNAP benefits if we want people to make different choices.)

Alongside the shame of visiting a food pantry, people experiencing hunger often undergo the secondary trauma of having their food choices supervised, monitored, and judged. This is a significant barrier to getting people the food they need to thrive. A welcoming pantry where shoppers feel free to pick the foods that work for them, rather than being pressured or humiliated into certain choices, is the pantry most effectively fighting hunger.

How we can reduce food shaming in pantries:

Do not monitor food choices. Too often, knowing a volunteer is watching their every move is enough to influence what a food pantry client is comfortable taking. While your pantry may have volunteers enforcing limits, do so as respectfully and as noninvasively as possible. If your pantry has staff or volunteers check or repack food selections before a client checks out, see if there is any way to change your system so that shoppers don’t feel like their choices have to be “approved.”

Offer a wide variety of foods. The more available your fresh produce is, the more people are likely to take it, but you cannot shame anyone into eating healthier. And too many people don’t have the capacity to use fresh options– many clients may depend on a microwave as their only cooking tool, or only have minutes available between work and caregiving responsibilities. Shaming them for the food choices does not make any healthier foods easier to eat. Offering a wide range of foods ensures that there is something that will work for everyone. Don’t turn your back on instant options.

Train volunteers to recognize their implicit biases and understand how it influences how they support shoppers. Unfortunately, food shaming is closely linked to weight shaming and fatphobia, and can manifest through poor treatment and services. This is a sensitive subject worthy of its own blog post, but it’s important to explicitly recognize that our judgements about size and food choice heavily influence how we interact with people. If we want to build inclusive, respectful, and effective food pantries, we need to acknowledge and work on these biases.

Major appreciation to Elie Jacobsen for helping source photos this week!

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

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Hunger is Political

Several years ago, I worked as a volunteer coordinator at a major food bank. I was lucky enough to start there just as we rolled out a new advocacy strategy, which meant my colleagues and I were responsible for introducing it to the community. As part of the volunteer repack shifts, we began to develop discussion points for engaging volunteers in anti-hunger advocacy.

While respecting the lobbying limitations of a nonprofit, we initiated conversations about the relationship between hunger and housing, healthcare, racial justice, and other issues. While some volunteers were receptive, many others were deeply irritated or even offended that we mentioned such problems.

“Stay in your lane! Hunger isn’t supposed to be political.”

I regularly received feedback that people volunteer with the food bank specifically because hunger “wasn’t political.” The second we started talking about how increasing affordable housing or accessible healthcare would fight hunger, we crossed a line.

The reality is, hunger is intensely political. The food insecurity rates of our neighbors and communities are directly related to the choices that we, from individuals to nations, make every day.

Hunger does not exist in a silo. No one experiencing hunger faces that as their only challenge. Hunger is intimately related to housing, healthcare, wages, racism, discrimination, gender, childcare, and a million other issues. If we really want to end hunger, then we need an organized plan to address poverty and all that encompasses.

If you are angry with your food bank for talking politics, then you aren’t really fighting hunger.

You’re fighting for the status quo.

Every public policy related to hunger. But while hunger is political, it doesn’t have to be partisan.

For example, libraries offer a space for people to use computers and the internet for free, which can be essential for applying to jobs or accessing resources. Losing this option can heavily impact the food security of an individual. The library bond on your ballot is a hunger issue.

Many, many people rely on public transportation to get to work, buy groceries, and carry out their daily life. Without a reliable way to get around, people go hungry, work can’t get done, and the economy suffers. The loud city bus your neighbor complains about is a hunger issue.

Many our food pantry clients have jobs, but are still forced to live in their cars, shelters, or couch surf. Without housing options within their budgets, they struggle to maintain a job, stay safe, and eat healthy food. Food pantries and SNAP are designed for people with kitchens, which meant we have fewer options to offer these people who go hungry as a result. Affordable housing is a hunger issue.

Voting is one of the most important ways we provide feedback and guidance to our government. Increasing barriers to vote (like we’re currently seeing) means we silence valuable opinions and lived experience that help shape stronger communities. Voting rights are a hunger issue.

It takes bravery for anti-hunger organizations to publicly discuss these relationships. And the legalities of nonprofits and politics make many organizations wary of crossing a line. But if we really want to solve hunger, we can’t limit our advocacy efforts to just food access.

Here’s how anti-hunger organizations can begin engaging with the bipartisan politics of hunger in their communities:

Host voter registration drives. This is a great entry point because it doesn’t explicitly connect hunger with politics, but it still opens the door for action from clients and volunteers alike. There is also an enormous amount of misinformation and voter suppression this year, so providing reliable resources and support is an incredibly valuable option.

Incorporate clients referrals to partner organizations that can help them with other issues like housing, healthcare, childcare, education, and other challenges. Make sure your volunteers know about these relationships, and why they are important. Every opportunity that our community sees a connection between hunger and other symptoms of poverty helps strengthen our understanding of the challenge we face.

Develop systems where your public-facing employees can have these conversations. Does volunteer orientation discuss how hunger relates to other challenges in your region? Start small, in one-on-one or small group discussions for practice, before bringing it to bigger volunteer shifts. Don’t try this unless leadership at every level believes and is ready to support the intersectionality of hunger. You’re likely to irritate or lose those volunteers who maintain that these discussions are too political- make sure to support your staff when this happens, but also remember that it also builds a stronger team who is better prepared to take decisive actions towards ending hunger.

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

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