Tag: freedom-from-hunger

“I just need food- I didn’t know I had to fill out any paperwork!” This woman’s vehement opposition to completing our food pantry’s new client intake form took me by surprise, which increased as she abruptly strode off with tears running down her face. I’d never had this happen before.

I followed her into the parking lot, and after some hesitant discussion, it became clear that she was a survivor of domestic violence. This woman was terrified at the prospect of any documentation that might enable her ex to find her. Respecting that fear, we did not record her visit, and ensured that she and her two children got the food they needed to survive a couple more days.

Nearly three years ago, this incident remains lodged in my memory as an early catalyst for my food pantry’s transition to practicing trauma-informed care, with the recognition that no one comes to our organization facing hunger as their only challenge.

Hunger was only one obstacle among many for this woman as she struggled to access the resources she needed while keeping her family safe.  Even though our mission is to meet the nutritional needs of our community, it is essential that anti-hunger organizations always recognize our visitors carry many other burdens when they walk through our doors, whether they share them with us or not.

This is why it is so important for every food justice advocate to deliberately plan, script, and implement strategies that focus on compassion and respect, and not just food access. This can help transform the process of seeking emergency food assistance from one of panic and humiliation to one of dignity and empowerment.

Every day, our food pantry welcomes people who are houseless, who have recently arrived from nations ripped apart by war, are facing imminent financial emergencies, or are experiencing a mental health crisis. Food pantry clients are never just facing food insecurity, but there is ample opportunity for us to provide support beyond just food.

Here’s how food pantries can build environments that support all their shoppers and the backgrounds they bring:

• Trauma-informed training for staff, leadership, and volunteers. Recognizing and respecting the trauma that people carry helps us develop systems to support them. Foster systems that accommodate those needs, such as ignoring the administrative responsibilities for the woman escaping a violent ex or packing a personalized food box for an individual who is overstimulated by the crowd and long line.
• De-escalation training. We serve clients who arrive stressed and emotionally charged every day, and it requires tact and sensitivity to help them find stability. For example, we occasionally encounter clients who haven’t eaten for several days. Finding them a snack and a bottle of water before they shop is often the most effective way to set them up for success shopping in the pantry.
• Focus on an attitude of abundance. Even if food supplies are running low, a sense of abundance helps shoppers feel more food secure and supported. When our food pantry line grows especially long, people worry that we won’t have enough food for everyone. Reassuring them helps quell anxieties before they even get inside.

• Wrap-around services. Although we don’t provide additional programming, we network with health clinics, organizations that deliver food, free clothing, and housing assistance so we can direct clients in the right direction. We partner with several nursing-student programs who have provided us with meal planning projects, recipe development, and other resources. This semester our students have developed information on wound care to share with our clients who are living outside. Although we rarely have exactly the resources our shoppers need, being able to point them in the right direction can save them from the overwhelming fear of solving these challenges alone.

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

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