• About the Study
• Methodology
  • Instrument Development
  • Training
  • Agency Survey
  • Client Survey
  • Response Rates
  • Analysis Methods
  • Reporting Conventions
  • Degree of Comparability
    • Estimating Turnover Rates
    • Provider Screening
    • More Than One Visit
    • Longer Hours
    • Number of Participating Food Banks
    • Open Less Often
    • Small Providers
    • Summary
  • Number of A2H Clients Served
• Key Findings
• Who We Serve
• How We Serve
• Local Picture
• Snapshot Comparisons
• Media Center

Increased Provider Screening (3.8.2)

Screening to ensure provider eligibility for the survey was done more intensively in 2005 than in 2001. During the 2001 survey, it had become evident that many food banks had trouble distinguishing between providers that met the eligibility criteria for the survey (by being emergency food providers) and those that did not. For instance, congregate meal programs for seniors were often confused with emergency kitchens. Similarly, long-term group living facilities were sometimes confused with emergency shelters. In 2005, therefore, MPR staff spent more time training food bank personnel on the relevant distinctions than they had in 2001. MPR also did more screening of information on the sample, which lowered participant estimates somewhat. We believe that the result was a sample better focused on the target population, that is, those households accessing “emergency food assistance.”