With as many as 343 million people facing food insecurity worldwide, the issue of food insecurity has only become more prevalent. As food deserts and inflation continue to challenge access to basic nutrition, charitable organizations are looking for more effective ways to support dignified access for those in need. Many charitable organizations have implemented food storage lockers or parcel lockers, allowing round-the-clock access and increased dignity, to assist them in boosting their impact in combatting hunger and stigma.
Understanding food insecurity
As cited by Feeding America, food insecurity comes about when people are unable to access the food they need to live their fullest lives. Conflict, climate emergencies, and economic inequalities are all contributing factors when it comes to increased food insecurity. Particularly following the pandemic and global conflicts, food pantries and food bank charities have a greater role to play than ever before. Organizations such as Feeding America, HealthLinc, and NNEMAP are working on national and state levels to combat food insecurity in lesser-served demographics, but with approximately 6.8% of households in the US relying on food assistance, donations and support cannot come fast enough.
Food banks as community anchors
Food bank charities and food pantries don’t just provide food assistance and vital support to individuals and families, they also contribute to overall improvements in health and stronger resilience in communities. Organizations like HealthLinc, for example, provide assistance to those suffering chronic health conditions through their food as medicine program and have seen an uptick in neighbors served with the implementation of their food lockers. Similarly, food pantries like NNEMAP not only provide food assistance, but a sense of community and dignified access through their grocery-store-like structure and round-the-clock access to self-selected grocery orders.
Food banks and parcel lockers
Parcel lockers, traditionally used in retail for convenient parcel pickups, have taken on a role of their own when it comes to contributing to the issue of food insecurity. Parcel lockers, when implemented as food lockers, can help organizations to streamline their food distribution, and address barriers like transportation and limited opening hours. Particularly where lockers are equipped with ambient-temperature-control or freezer technologies, they can allow charitable food organizations the ability to provide better access, but also higher levels of quality in the food assistance they provide.
Click n Collect’s food lockers have allowed organizations like HealthLinc and NNEMAP to expand their reach, increase access with 24/7 operations, and contribute to dignified access for those avoiding food pantries due to the attached stigma.
Breaking the stigma around food assistance
On a global scale, social stigma has meant that many people who could benefit from food assistance either feel uncomfortable using food pantries and food banks or avoid sharing their use of food assistance programs with friends and family. In the US, 42% of respondents from a 2022 survey by Connecticut Foodshare’s Institute for Hunger Research & Solutions said they would feel embarrassed to use a pantry, with 40% worrying that others would find out.
By implementing food lockers at convenient access points, food pantries can combat food insecurity while contributing to greater dignity for those who need assistance. The lockers mean neighbors can access food at times that work for them, whether that be due to work schedules, transportation to and from the pickup points, or simply preferring to pick up their food during off-peak times.
Unexpected benefits of lockers for charitable food organizations
Where benefits like increased and dignified access are undeniably important when considering implementing lockers, some organizations have found unexpected benefits in expanded reach, allowing them to serve demographics previously unknown or unserved. The physical presence of the lockers, when done strategically, can act as an advertisement for assistance, whether the lockers are implemented on location or near a local grocery store. They can also have positive impacts for the organizations themselves by providing a space for stakeholders or partners to advertise and providing more ways for those wanting to support food pantries to donate. NNEMAP, for example, saw increases in donations where people could book a locker and leave their donation - whether food or otherwise - in a safe, temperature-controlled space, should they not be able to donate during regular opening hours.
The real impact of food pantries
According to Food America’s Charitable Food Assistance Participation study, in 2023, more than 50 million people used food assistance, with more than 47 million living in households struggling with food insecurity. Since the pandemic, food pantry statistics have only increased, with food pantries and charitable food organizations increasingly broadening their communities served with implementations like food lockers. NNEMAP, for example, saw an increase of 5% in their neighbors served, and with their significant increase in orders, are already looking to expand just six months into the program.
Charitable food organizations provide a space for many facing food insecurity to access support, and with the implementation of locker programs, they can also provide a dignified space for support. Click n Collect partners with organizations that work for positive change, giving people access to a dignified, private way to access support, wherever they are. Partner with us today and take a step towards greater food security.
