“True hospitality consists of giving the best of yourself to your guests.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Centering food pantry clients’ ability to choose their own foods is about more than nutrition, it’s about being neighborly. Many pantries pre-select which products are given to its clients. For the food programs themselves, this can be time-consuming and physically demanding on staff and volunteers, and agencies may be investing their money on the wrong products. Neighbors, on the other hand, receive things that they may not use or not know how to prepare.
Instead, many pantries allow their clients to select the products themselves. In this model, the atmosphere is more relaxed, less rushed, and volunteers have more opportunities to get to know the clients. Clients experience more dignity and autonomy when they’re able to choose their own foods and address their own needs. Neighbors can take any health issues they may have into consideration, prioritize culturally-appropriate foods, plan for their own meals, and advocate for what they need.
“People need choices,” shared Ashe Harvest Ministries (AHM) Executive Director Michael Hartzog. “If you’re gonna do something like this, and you’re gonna want to build it to be something that benefits the community […] because there’s such a wide variety of needs,” AHM has served as a pillar in the Jefferson community for over a decade and connects neighbors with the resources they need to thrive. This includes providing emergency assistance, connecting families with educational resources, and operating a client choice food pantry where neighbors can shop like they are at a supermarket.
For pantries already supporting their neighbors’ dignity by offering choice, even engaging in an evaluation can illustrate opportunities for growth: “[Come to the Table] helped us evaluate our program compared to others. We had no basis for comparison,” shared Forrestine Sain, pastor at Laurel Hill UMC in Vale. Although their pantry has been serving the community for decades, providing a framework for evaluation, change, and improvement can still lead to new insights.
In addition to comprehensive pantry evaluations, CTTT can help you create volunteer orientation materials, design client surveys, or start new local relationships. In Rockingham County, Monument of Faith church supports their Eden neighbors through a food pantry, a clothes closet, and vocational preparation opportunities. Even for established pantries, a supportive conversation can help a pantry grow: “The [CTTT] checklist provided insight into changes that need to take place as well as policies that need to be implemented,” shared ministry leader Tamika Wright Sudderth. “This process also served as a guide on how our pantry should flow and the experience each guest should have when visiting.”
If you’re a food pantry looking to shift from pre-packed food to a choice pantry with fresh, local options, CTTT can help you evaluate your food programming and offer a framework for growth, with specific and actionable next steps.
If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Jarred White ([email protected] / 919.548.4730).