Food Pantry Volunteers: Managing Bad Attitudes

The most common reason that food pantries reach out to me is because they’re struggling with the attitudes and biases of their volunteers (and occasionally leadership). While food pantry staff try to build organizations that provide food without judgement or biases, they’re regularly held back by volunteers determined to implement their preconceived notions about what hunger looks like.

I experienced this at one of my past food pantries, and it’s incredibly frustrating. While I believed the organization had the capacity to be a national model of excellence,

I was consistently told that our shoppers didn’t need as much food as we were giving them, they weren’t grateful enough, and they needed to acknowledge that we knew what was best for them.

Every day felt like an uphill battle to provide basic services with dignity and respect. No matter how good our facility, system, or food supply was, I couldn’t overcome the attitudes that many of our volunteers held towards the people we served.

This attitude has been engrained in food pantries largely since their conception in the 1970s.

Most pantry volunteers are retirees who came of age in the 1980s and internalized Reagan’s myth that people using food assistance were corrupt fraudsters. This generation (predominantly white men) enjoyed relatively easy access to education, housing, and steady employment, which has enabled them to establish a comfortable retirement.

Many Boomers believe that these resources are still easily accessible (“I worked hard and was successful, why can’t you?”) which leads to a lack of sympathy for people experiencing hunger.

Of course, anyone who embraces data over personal anecdotes knows that the world has changed dramatically. Food insecurity is a policy choice forced upon our neighbors rather than anything to do with their personal decisions.

I have yet to discover a quick fix for changing volunteer minds in food pantries. But here are my recommendations for helping move your organization (and eventually your volunteers) away from this attitude:

• Make sure the organizational mission clearly articulates the reality that food insecurity is a policy choice rather than an issue of personal responsibility. When new volunteers join the organization, establish ten million different ways to teach them that the organization embraces this reality. Share this language wherever you can- in your mission, values, on your website, on posters, and on social media.

• Even if leadership is not on board, individuals can also make a difference simply by exposing people to the data of hunger. Lead discussions with volunteers on how one might budget based on your local cost of living and minimum wage or use an online simulator. Don’t be afraid to challenge them with real-life issues that many of your clients are facing- like the reality of a medical emergency with no health insurance, or the difficulty of getting to the cheapest grocery store with no car.

• When you have the capacity, be relentless in calling out assumptions. Every time I heard a volunteer make a negative comment about a full shopping cart, I made sure to say something like, “imagine how good that person must feel knowing that their family gets to eat tonight.” It’s exhausting, but with exposure you can change (some volunteer) minds.

• Dedicate your energy to the volunteers who are interested in learning more. Every pantry has at least one volunteer who is determined to believe the worst of all your clients- don’t waste time on them! Instead, focus on new and enthusiastic volunteers and those who want to explore these issues. Here’s an instance where it’s okay to play favorites- it’s not a bad thing if volunteers notice that compassionate people are more appreciated.

• Remember that not every volunteer is a great fit. It’s okay if they hear something they don’t like and choose not to come back. The worst-case scenario is when you try to please everyone by staying as neutral as possible. In my experience this is where the weakest and most inefficient efforts to fight hunger happen.

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

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