Stability of Existing Food Programs (12.1)
Agencies were asked whether their food programs are stable or facing problems that threaten their food programs’ continued operation and, if so, which of several listed factors were the causes of the threat. Agencies were asked to check more than one reason, if more than one was appropriate. Table 12.1.1 shows the percentage of food programs affected by each of the factors cited. However, the data in this table are not directly comparable to similar data in the 2001 study. In the 2001 study, a prior question was asked concerning whether the selected program was threatened by any serious problems threatening their continued operations. Only those respondents indicating “yes” to this prior question were tracked into the questions about the nature of the threatening problem. In the 2005 study, the prior question was dropped, and respondents were tracked directly into a question about which, if any, of the problems listed were threats to stability. The result appears to have been a significant increase in reported perceptions of threats to stability in the programs.
Table 12.1.1
STABILITY OF EXISTING FOOD PROGRAMS
|
Pantry Programs |
Kitchen Programs |
Shelter Programs |
|---|---|---|---|
Nature of the problem a |
|
|
|
Problems related to funding |
42.3% |
50.3% |
65.7% |
Problems related to food supplies |
30.7% |
23.3% |
12.5% |
Problems related to paid staff or personnel |
7.1% |
14.0% |
19.9% |
Problems related to volunteers |
18.0% |
17.7% |
9.9% |
Community resistance |
1.9% |
3.6% |
5.8% |
Other problems |
4.6% |
4.0% |
3.3% |
Programs not facing problems that threaten their continued operation |
38.1% |
35.0% |
27.9% |
SAMPLE SIZE (N) |
18,436 |
4,514 |
2,704 |
Source:
This table was constructed based on usable responses to
Question 17 of the agency survey
.
Notes:
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 8.3% for pantry programs, 15.0% for kitchen programs, and 13.2% for shelter programs.
a Multiple responses were accepted.
As Table 12.1.1 shows, 61.9% of the pantries, 65.0% of the kitchens, and 72.1% of the shelters believe they are facing one or more problems that threaten their continued operation:
- Of the programs facing threats, 42.3% of the pantries, 50.3% of the kitchens, and 65.7% of the shelters referred to funding issues as a threat; 30.7% of the pantries, 23.3% of the kitchens, and 12.5% of the shelters indicated food supplies as a threat to their continued operation.
- 14.0% of the threatened kitchens and 19.9% of the threatened shelters identified issues related to paid staff or personnel as a threat; 18.0% of the pantries and 17.7% of the kitchens stated that volunteer-related problems posed a threat.
