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Client Choice Food Programs
Serving clients with respect and dignity
More client choice food programs are becoming available around the country. Client choice food programs allow people who are seeking food assistance to choose for themselves what products they receive. It cuts down on waste and it also allows people to have autonomy in their food choices. It is also a way to provide dignity for people who are in need of help.
There are different types of client choice pantries. Some resemble small grocery stores where clients can walk and choose their own food. Others will provide a list to their clients letting them know what they have.
Having the opportunity to choose their own food gives the people being served a sense of dignity and control, limits waste (since they tend not to take food they won’t use), and allows them to tailor the help they receive to be the best possible fit for their own unique situation. — End Hunger in America
According to the Manna Food Bank there are many benefits to the pantry, clients, and volunteers when using the client choice model for the pantry. While it’s a shift from the traditional providing a preselected box or bag of food, volunteers find that providing the client choice model is work that is just different, not more difficult.
“The work is just different, not more difficult.” — Manna Food Bank
When choosing a client choice model the pantries find:
- There is less food waste as clients receive food that they like or will use. There is less chance of them throwing away food that doesn’t suit their families.
- It helps when purchasing food for the pantry. They know which foods are more readily chosen and they can gear their shopping to provide the food that clients will use. It provides savings for the pantry and can stretch their monetary donations.
- If staff and volunteers spend less time bagging and boxing pre-made selections, they can translate that time to longer hours or opening on weekends…
