Additional Food Resources Needed Per Week (12.4)
Agencies were asked how much additional food is needed during a typical week to adequately meet the demand for food. Results are summarized in Table 12.4.1.
Table 12.4.1
ADDITIONAL FOOD RESOURCES NEEDED PER WEEK
|
|
Pantry Programs |
Kitchen Programs |
Shelter Programs |
|---|---|---|---|
No additional meals or meal equivalents needed a |
55.0% |
69.4% |
76.9% |
1 to 10 additional meals or meal equivalents needed |
1.8% |
3.4% |
3.6% |
11 to 49 additional meals or meal equivalents needed |
7.0% |
6.5% |
6.2% |
50 to 149 additional meals or meal equivalents needed |
10.2% |
10.5% |
6.3% |
150 or more additional meals or meal equivalents needed |
26.1% |
10.1% |
6.9% |
TOTAL |
100.0% |
100.0% |
100.0% |
SAMPLE SIZE (N) |
18,436 |
4,514 |
2,704 |
|
|
|
|
Average number of additional meal equivalents needed among valid answers b |
404 |
216 |
215 |
Median number of additional meal equivalents needed among valid answers b |
154 |
80 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
Average amount of additional food needed (pounds) b |
525 |
281 |
280 |
Median amount of additional food needed (pounds) b |
200 |
104 |
65 |
|
|
|
|
SAMPLE SIZE (N) – Programs that need more food resources |
5,847 |
878 |
386 |
Source:
This table was constructed based on usable responses to
Question 14 of the agency survey
.
Notes:
The percentages presented in this table are based only on
usable responses, excluding missing, don’t know, and refusal responses.
All usable responses were weighted as described in Chapter 3 and in the Technical Appendix
volume to represent all emergency food programs of the A2H National Network. The sample sizes (N) also include missing data.
Missing, don’t know, and refusal responses combined are 29.5% for pantry programs, 35.3% for kitchen programs, and 36.2% for shelter programs.
a This variable was constructed from two variables, one asking food poundage and the other number of meals. Poundage was converted to meals by dividing the poundage by 1.3. Then, the resulting number of meals and the other variable of actual number of meals were summed to produce the number of meals reported here. The 1.3 pounds per meal factor is based on tabulations from U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Food Consumption and Dietary Levels of Households in the United States, 1987-88.” Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1994.
b Zeros as responses were not included as valid responses for calculating the average and the median. For pantries, responses greater than 2,500 lb. (1,923 meals) were recoded as 2,500 lb. (1,923 meals). For kitchens, responses greater than 1,690 lb. (1,300 meals) were recoded as 1,690 lb. (1,300 meals). For shelters, responses greater than 2,080 lb. (1,600 meals) were recoded as 2,080 lb. (1,600 meals).
The percentage of programs that answered that they did not need additional food for distribution is 55.0% for pantries, 69.4% for kitchens, and 76.9% for shelters. Results among the programs in need of additional food follow:
- The median pantry needed more than 200 additional pounds of food per week.
- The median kitchen needed more than 80 additional meal equivalents per week.
- The median shelters needed more than 50 additional meal equivalents per week.
