• About the Study
• Methodology
• Key Findings
• Who We Serve
• How We Serve
• Local Picture
• Snapshot Comparisons
  • Selected Subgroups
  • Income & Other Variables
  • Metropolitan Status
  • Choices
  • Food Stamp Receipt
  • Food Stamps & Food Security
  • Three Study Comparison
    • Client Characteristics
    • Program Characteristics
• Media Center

Comparison of Selected Client Characteristics (16.1)

Table 16.1.1 presents selected characteristics of clients served by the A2H national network for the 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005 A2H national research studies:  the percentages of clients who are currently employed, clients who are currently receiving food stamps, and clients without a place to live.

The percentage of food pantry clients currently working has gradually increased between 1993 and 2001, but declined between 2001 and 2005.  In 2005, 22% of the pantry clients interviewed at the A2H-affiliated emergency food programs were employed, which is about three percentage points lower than in 2001.  A similar trend was found among the kitchen clients, but the percentage employed in 2005 is higher at 25% than among pantry clients.  There was little change in the percentage employed among shelter clients between 1993 and 2005 studies.

Table 16.1.1
SELECTED CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS IN NATIONAL DATA:
1993, 1997, 2001, AND 2005

	1993	1997	2001	2005
Percentage of Clients Interviewed Employed a
Pantries	17.9%	20.7%	24.7%	21.9%
Kitchens	16.6%	18.9%	27.7%	25.3%
Shelters	22.2%	23.0%	22.0%	22.4%
Percentage Receiving Food Stamps
Pantries	48.3%	41.7%	31.0%	35.8%
Kitchens	37.9%	36.3%	23.6%	35.0%
Shelters	49.2%	42.4%	25.6%	31.7%
Percentage Homeless
Pantries	4.8%	4.1%	2.8%	3.2%
Kitchens	27.9%	26.4%	26.3%	26.1%
Shelters	77.2%	75.8%	75.7%	80.3%

Note:   
Data for 1993, 1997, and 2001 are taken from previous Second Harvest reports.  Data for 2005 are taken from tables presented in earlier chapters of this report.

a Based on clients directly interviewed.  Percentages do not include other members of the household.

Estimates of food stamp participation among A2H clients showed a considerable decrease during periods between previous studies, but this trend is reversed in 2005:  among the pantry clients, 36% are receiving food stamps, compared with 31% in 2001.  A similar pattern holds across client groups served by different program types and mirrors national trends. 1

The trends in the percentage of clients without a place to live vary by the program type. Small percentages (less than 5%) of pantry clients were found to be homeless in all four studies.  This small number is not surprising, since pantry clients typically need a place to store and prepare food.  The percentage of homeless clients at kitchen sites is much higher than at pantries and shows little change across four points in time, in the range of 26% to 28%.  On the other hand, as many as over 80% of shelter clients are homeless in 2005, up from 76% to 77% during the years of previous studies.

1   Joseph Llobrera.  Food Stamp Caseloads Are Rising.  Washington, DC:  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, August 16, 2004.