Spanish- and English-Speaking Client Perceptions of Choice Food Pantries

Abstract

Choice food pantries have the potential to both address food insecurity and promote nutrition by allowing clients to choose their own food in a dignified way. Two focus groups of Spanish- and English-speaking clients of newly converted choice food pantry were conducted in Hamilton, Ohio. The goals of the focus groups were to assess the benefits and challenges associated with choice food pantries from a client point of view. Results suggest that clients overwhelmingly prefer the choice over the traditional model. However, many of the challenges were identified by Spanish-speaking clients and relate to cultural issues between clients and volunteers.