Abstract
Given the importance of food banks to the availability of accessible food, attention to the resilience of regional systems for bringing food from producers to distributors—including local food pantries—is of prime concern. By utilizing a partnership between Appalachian State University and Feeding America, through the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, we gathered information regarding the capabilities of seven regional food pantries. This pilot study focused on the capabilities of the selected food pantries to provide food assistance, promote self-efficacy, and address root causes of hunger in their communities. We utilized a cross-sectional survey developed at the University of Oklahoma as well as descriptive statistics to create resource maps utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) software. This approach provided a model for an upcoming survey of three hundred food pantries located throughout the state of North Carolina to be implemented by Appalachian State University and research partners from the University of North Carolina. The larger study will expand knowledge regarding the best practices for food pantry operations, highlight opportunities to strengthen organizational capabilities including nutrition offerings and other wraparound services, support the development of resource maps to optimize the use of regional and self-efficacy-related resources for low-income clients and communities, and promote the expansion of opportunities for collaboration and funding. Ultimately, we plan to utilize statewide data to develop a Food Pantry Capability Index based on selected measures encompassing available food assets, financial resources, size of area served, population-specific demographics, and number and type of auxiliary services offered including economic development initiatives. Such an Index could be used nationwide to assess and improve overall food resiliency and self-efficacy for given communities, counties, regions, and states. See the press release for this article.
Highlights
Given the importance of food banks to the availability of accessible food, attention to the resilience of regional systems for bringing food from producers to distributors—including local food pantries— is of prime concern
The pilot study on which we report was a component of the NCFPCM NWNC, and of a larger study of food pantries to be implemented throughout the entire state of North Carolina
The mean percentage of food provided to the pantries by SHFB NWNC was 60%, indicating that SHFB NWNC is a key contributor to pantries’ stability and capability to carry out their missions
Summary
Given the importance of food banks to the availability of accessible food, attention to the resilience of regional systems for bringing food from producers to distributors—including local food pantries— is of prime concern. The long-term aim of this project is to: 1) expand the base of knowledge regarding local food pantries, including the creation of resource maps to promote regional- and state-level optimization of food access, and 2) to develop an easy-to-use, practical instrument to assess the capabilities of food pantries to meet client needs and to support the food resilience of local communities and their greater regions We believe it is important for the well-being of food pantry clients and their communities to share this brief describing our research in progress to provide other interested researchers with information which could potentially lead to expansions of the geographic scope of this effort. We hope to prompt productive research collaborations which could benefit the populations served by local food pantries
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