all chapters

Running head: CREATING A MOBILE PANTRY MODEL1

Creating a Mobile Food Pantry Model

For the Lowcountry Food Bank

Elise Gruber

Academic Magnet High School

CREATING A MOBILE FOOD PANTRY 2

Table of Contents

Chapter I: Introduction....................................................................................................................3

Rationale......................................................................................................................................3

Statement of the Problem.............................................................................................................4

Method.........................................................................................................................................4

Research Questions......................................................................................................................5

Implications..................................................................................................................................6

Significance..................................................................................................................................7

Applicability.................................................................................................................................7

Chapter II: Review of Literature......................................................................................................7

Food Deserts................................................................................................................................7

Federal Solutions to Food Insecurity...........................................................................................9

Food Insecurity in South Carolina...............................................................................................9

The Lowcountry Food Bank......................................................................................................10

Food Insecurity in North Charleston..........................................................................................11

Addressing North Charleston Food Insecurity.......................................................................12

Community Solutions to Food Insecurity..................................................................................13

Food Co-op/Farmers Market..................................................................................................13

Community Gardens...............................................................................................................16

Mobile Food Pantries.............................................................................................................17

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................20

Chapter III: Methodology..............................................................................................................22

Participants.................................................................................................................................22

Materials.....................................................................................................................................23

Procedure...................................................................................................................................23

Evaluation..................................................................................................................................24

References......................................................................................................................................26


Chapter I: Introduction

Rationale

Food insecurity is a phenomenon seen in both rural and urban locations across the United

States. Food insecurity is defined as a household's inability to obtain affordable, nutritious foods

easily as a result of both monetary and logistical limitations (Cumming and MacIntyre, 2002). A

study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that 48.8 million people in the United States,

or one of every six Americans, experience food insecurity periodically over the course of a year

(U.S. Department of Agriculture, n.d.). While this term was first coined in the 1990s, it has

recently gained distinction in the United States, as food access has found to exacerbate issues

relating to education and health (Cummins & MacIntyre, 2002). The Lowcountry Food Bank

(LCFB) is a nonprofit organization and network member of Feeding America who serves the ten

coastal counties of South Carolina and has three base locations: one in Yemassee, one in the

Myrtle Beach, and another, the largest, in North Charleston and works through over 300

partnering agencies (Lowcountry Food Bank, n.d.). Within these ten counties however there are

various demographics, populations, poverty rates, and partnering agency presence. All of these

factors contribute to the Lowcountry Food Bank's evaluation of the individual needs of each

country and influence the LCFB's distribution capacity and frequency. The Lowcountry Food

Bank’s mission is as follows: “ To feed the poor and hungry of the ten coastal counties of South

Carolina by soliciting and distributing healthy food and grocery products to nonprofit agencies

serving the poor and to educate the public about the problems of and solutions to domestic

hunger' (Lowcountry Food Bank, 2005). The organization has adopted various outlets to

facilitate this mission, many specifically in the urban area of North Charleston.


Food banks across the country have formulated different programs to address food

insecurity and extend their scope of distribution. One solution, which has gained popularity

within the past several decades, is the implementation of a mobile pantry program. A mobile

pantry program utilizes vehicles such as retired beverage trucks as satellite distribution points

which then carry nonperishable and/or perishable food items to underserved areas with limited

available community resources (Pennant, 2011). This idea was first introduced in 1998 by John

Arnold of the West Michigan Food Bank as a way to distribute perishable produce nearing

expiration (Feeding America [Producer], 2012). Last year the Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB)

received a retired beer truck which they began to use as a mobile food pantry for nonperishable

foods. The Lowcountry Food Bank is currently utilizing the mobile pantry as a point of

distribution in the Accabee, Bayside, Chicora, and Ashley Shores neighborhoods of North

Charleston; however, the LCFB has yet to permanently define this program and its purpose

(Lowcountry Food Bank, 2012).

The Lowcountry Food Bank works closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and

is a member of the national food bank organization Feeding America. The LCFB thus must

comply with the two distribution standards of these organizations which are measured by PPIP

(pounds per person in poverty) and total amount of food distributed per census track of the ten

county area, respectively (Young, 2012). The Lowcountry Food Bank's mobile pantry program

has yet to fully be defined; however, the LCFB is currently working to establish a program

model which can fill the gaps in the food bank's current distribution network.

Statement of the Problem

Last year the Lowcountry Food Bank began its mobile food pantry program. Its current

definition is as follows: “A method of distribution via dry and/or refrigerated vehicle that


provides for direct client distribution in an organized format managed either by the Lowcountry

Food Bank or member agency representatives to provide food that traditional pantries do not

normally accept or distribute to unserved/underserved areas and/or populations” (Lowcountry

Food Bank, n.d., p. 1). This is a vague definition of operations and fails to address the targeted

community, be it rural or local, the need which the program fills, the specific type of agency it

associates with, and how the program is financed. There are several rural census tracts with high

poverty rates within the LCFB’s ten county area that have fewer partnering agencies thus less

access to the Lowcountry Food Bank's resources and provisions. These tracts are considered

underserved by the USDA and Feeding America standard, creating a gap in the LCFB’s

distribution. Mobile food pantries have been described as “[the] most ambitious approach to

getting food to those who need it most” and, with this in mind, the Lowcountry Food Bank hopes

to use their program as a tool to expand and enhance their distribution network, specifically in

these targeted areas (Pennant, 2011, p. 1). While the LCFB plans to use the mobile pantry

program to fill its current distribution gaps, the Lowcountry Food Bank has yet to establish a

clear, thorough definition of the mobile pantry program. The establishment of this definition and

mission will allow the organization to better market and solicit funding for the program. This

definition needs to include information regarding what areas it distributes to, the need which it

fills, the type of food it utilized, the form and consistency of distributions, and the sources of

funding for this program (A-M., Young, personal communication, April 27, 2012).

Method

The researcher provided recommendations for how to define and utilize the Lowcountry

Food Bank's mobile pantry program through an analysis of the mobile pantry practices of

similarly structured food banks. This method required a qualitative examination of different


features of food pantry programs across the country through a set of interviews conducted with

food banks associated with Feeding America, the national network of food banks. The data

collection occurred during interviews, both over phone and through email correspondences, and

utilized a standardized questionnaire. The consistency of the interview questions allowed for a

more accurate and thorough comparison between mobile pantry models. The benefits and

disadvantages of each model were then discussed and applied to the goals and distribution needs

of the Lowcountry Food Bank. After each interview the notes and comments on each food

bank’s program were recorded and shared with the researcher’s mentor, allowing open

communication on any shortcomings seen during this data collection process. Supplementary

information regarding mobile pantries’ modeling was provided from additional research and

program reports found on the Feeding America networking sites, Hungernet.org.

The gaps of the Lowcountry Food Bank’s distribution were also determined and

analyzed. This information was gained through interviews with representatives from the

Lowcountry Food Bank and Feeding America's annual distribution assessments. The gaps of

distribution were determined to be the counties within the Lowcountry Food Bank's service area

which were considered underserved by Feeding America and USDA standards.

Research Questions

The primary research question was "What is the most effective mobile pantry model for

the Lowcountry Food Bank considering the gap in its current distribution and available

resources?". Follow up questions related to this primary question are as follows: “What have

been the best practices for mobile pantry programs across the country for comparable

organizations?”, “What qualities of a mobile food pantry can assist in best filling the gaps of the

LCFB distribution?", “What are the current distribution gaps of the LCFB within the ten


counties which it serves?”, “How can the LCFB realistically use the mobile pantry to fill the

current gaps in the service”, and “How can the mobile pantry program afford to consistently

distribute to communities and agencies unable to financially contribute to the mobile pantry’s

distribution costs?”.

Implications

Mobile pantry programs have largely been recognized as the most effective way to

accommodate underserved communities with minimal existing partnering agencies and

community resources. The recommendations provided by this thesis allows the Lowcountry

Food Bank to have a preplanned model of how its mobile pantry program will operate and be

used, thus giving the program a greater chance of success. This information can also be shared

with other food banks across the country that are attempting to establish a mobile pantry

program. By presenting a provisional guide to introducing a mobile pantry program, this project

helps to prepare food banks for what to expect considering the addition of a mobile pantry

program.

Significance

As food insecurity is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem across the country it is

important to explore new and creative ways to address hunger while evaluating the efficacy of

current solutions. By sharing information, assessments, and critiques of food banks' existing

mobile pantry programs, organizations such as the Lowcountry Food Bank which plan on

introducing a mobile pantry program are given a better initial understanding of the structure and

needs of a mobile pantry program, thus increasing the likelihood of a pilot program's success.

Applicability


By systematically analyzing the differing uses and models of a mobile pantry program,

the researcher created a recommended model based on the determined needs of the Lowcountry

Food Bank's service area and capacity of the organization. This provides the Lowcountry Food

Bank an outline of a pilot program for the organization; however, the Lowcountry Food Bank's

staff will implement this model as they see fit.


Chapter II: Review of Literature

Cummings and Macintyre (2002) describe food insecurity as a household’s inability to

easily get affordable, nutritious foods, as a result of both monetary and physical limitations. It is

a phenomenon seen in both rural and urban locations across the United States and is synonymous

with hunger. This nutritional disadvantage has caused an abnormally high instance of obesity,

heart disease, and other dietary related diseases. Areas experiencing food insecurity are known as

“food deserts” and are almost always low-income, minority neighborhoods (Murray, 2010).

North Charleston, SC has been labeled an area food desert within the Tricounty area, a fact

which multiple local organizations such as Metanoia, the Lowcountry Housing Trust, the

Children’s Garden Project, and the Lowcountry Food Bank are working to address in progressive

and sustainable ways. As this demographic and social phenomena gains recognition, many

communities across the country are doing the same. Three recurring community solutions to food

insecurity have been the establishment of locally featured food co-ops, mobile food pantry

programs, and community gardens. This review of literature will examine the current uses of

these solutions and the existing response to North Charleston food insecurity on behalf of

community organizations, specifically the Lowcountry Food Bank.

Food Deserts

“Food desert” is a term used to describe areas that suffer from food insecurity.

Researchers Cummins and MacIntyre (2002) define food deserts as areas experiencing food

insecurity as a result of limited access to nutritious, affordable foods. This typically occurs in

areas with low-income, minority residents who, due to this nutritional disadvantage, are more

prone to dietary-related diseases (Murray, 2010). This inaccessibility to healthy food is typically


due to lack of fully stocked grocers in the area and limited transportation to other resources of

healthy foods and fresh produce (Knich, 2011). A study conducted in 2010 by the U. S.

Department of Agriculture (n.d.) found that 48.8 million people living in the United States live in

food-insecure households. This study defines a food insecure household as one which,

periodically, is unable to acquire enough food for the residents needs due to lack of resources for

food, both monetary and logistical (U.S. Department of Agriculture, n.d.). Bowers (2011)

discusses a complementary study conducted by USDA focusing specifically on the North

Charleston area. It found that of the 33,000 people living in the food insecure areas of North

Charleston, SC, 19,500, or 59%, are considered to have “low access” to grocery stores, meaning

that the nearest grocery is over a mile away from their residence, a severe limiting factor for

those without the luxury of a car. Instead of grocers, residents rely on fast food restaurants or

corner grocery stores, which typically provide a narrow selection of unprocessed items or healthy

produce (Bowers, 2011).

While this trend was first named as early as the 1990s, it has recently gained attention at a

national level, as it is a trend which fosters cyclically adverse lifestyles which, in turn, affect all

areas of life, including education and health (Cummins & MacIntyre, 2002). As a whole, this

information supports the existence of a health risk based on socio-economic standings. Many

communities around the United States are now attempting to address this social and demographic

problem.

Murray (2010) describes urban food deserts such as North Charleston as almost always

occurring in low-income, minority neighborhoods where obesity and dietary-related diseases are

prominent. Hall (2010) describes this as a “grocery gap,” a nationwide phenomenon which

places poorer and minority-based communities at a disadvantage to wealthier areas for a need as


basic as nutritious food. Hall (2010) further explains the problem of food desertification within

the District of Columbia and the disproportionate access to fully stocked grocers between low-

income wards such as Seven and Eight to wealthier sections such as Wards Two and Three,

which contain roughly half of the city’s supermarkets. Wards Seven and Eight are historically

food insecure areas with predominately African American residents and are known to have the

highest poverty rate of the entire district, with roughly 31% of the residents living below the

poverty line (Hall, 2010). Hall (2010) also asserts that “rates of obesity, diabetes, poor access to

grocery stores, poverty rates, unemployment and hunger measures…[are] all very much related”

(p. 2), which lends support to the idea that by fulfilling a community’s need to access nutritious

foods, one can also address some of the cyclical health problems and poverty of an area.

Federal Solutions to Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is a problem which is gaining recognition at both a local and federal

level. First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched the "Let’s Move" campaign which aims to

slow the current epidemic of childhood obesity in America. In tandem with this nationwide

campaign is the Healthy Food Financing Initiative", sponsored by the Departments of the

Treasury, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services. This program is designed to promote

nutritious foods in small grocers and retailers operating in communities with limited grocery

options. This initiative provides below-market rate loans, grants, and federal tax credits to

businesses that provide additional nutritional foods and produce, thus encouraging the expansion

of the food options within a food-insecure community. By doing this the administration hopes to

also create jobs and more opportunities for involvement of those living in “distressed”

communities (Hall, 2010). Last year the Lowcountry Housing Trust, an organization based in


North Charleston, SC, received a $500,000 federal grant with the intention of addressing the

food desertification (Knich, 2011).

Food Insecurity in South Carolina

Of the roughly 4.5 million people living in South Carolina 810,000 people, or eighteen

percent, experience food insecurity. The county with largest portion of people experiencing food

insecurity is Allendale County, with an overall rate of food insecurity being thirty-six percent.

Much lower rates of food insecurity are seen in larger cities such as Columbia with an overall

rate of seventeen percent, or Charleston and North Charleston, each with sixteen percent

(Feeding America, 2012). This information is validated by the fact that rural counties are isolated

from and poorly connected to larger nonprofit networks such as the Lowcountry Food Bank

which can provide community support and partnerships. In these rural counties the poverty rates

are typically higher and the residents are, naturally, more separated from one other and the local

relief organizations that do exist (A-M., Young, personal communication, April 27, 2012).

The Lowcountry Food Bank

The Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB) is a nonprofit organization and a member of

Feeding America, with the mission of alleviating hunger across a ten county area of South

Carolina and educating the public about problems associated with domestic hunger (Lowcountry

Food Bank, 2005). The LCFB has three locations, one in Grand Strand, one in Yemassee and

another, its largest, in North Charleston. The organization has multiple outlets of distribution

across its service; however, the city of North Charleston hosts multiple food service programs as

it is a densely populated city and known food desert. These North Charleston programs include

Backpack Buddies, Kids Kitchen, Food Works, TEFAP, CSFP, Benefit Bank, school pantry and,

as of last year, a mobile food pantry (A-M., Young, personal communication, April 27, 2012).


The Lowcountry Food Bank typically works with a network of over 320 partnering

agencies across its service area, distributing food to these agencies that then disperse food

product throughout their local community. These partnering agencies are usually small

community-based nonprofits, faith-based organizations, or school run programs. In order to

receive a distribution, an agency's location must comply with Feeding America’s standards for

food safety and contribute a shared maintenance fee to the Lowcountry Food Bank to assist with

the cost of procuring, moving and storing food. This fee is minimal, as low as four cents per

pound of food, and is thus significantly less than the food cost associated with a wholesale store

such as Costco.

Food Insecurity in North Charleston

Inaccessibility to a fully stocked grocery store has been recognized by the North

Charleston community as a significant problem since the early 1990s, especially to those living

in the southernmost end of the county (Bowers, 2011). After Hurricane Hugo, businesses began

to steadily leave the neighborhood as a result of high instances of crime in the area and the risk

of decreasing margins when catering to a low income community (Paras, 2007). In 2005, the

Winn-Dixie in Shipwatch Square was the final grocery store in the area to close, leaving the

entire southern portion of North Charleston without any fully stocked grocery store (Knich,

2011). It is important to note that this failed business was a result of an executive decision to

close all of South Carolina’s Winn-Dixie stores rather than location-related business problems in

North Charleston (Wise, 2011). On the contrary, the chain's Shipwatch location was one of the

most profitable Lowcountry locations (Bowers, 2011). This lends support to the suggestion that,

despite the low income level of a given community, a business with small profit margins, such as

a grocery store, can still thrive in these neighborhoods with the income supplement of EBT


cards, WIC benefits, and Social Security Checks (Bowers, 2011). These figures are often not

taken into account when examining an area’s income level, and thus is a common but misguided

deterrent for businesses.

The southernmost part of North Charleston contains eleven districts which are considered

urban food deserts (Knich, 2011; Ploeg et al., 2009). This exact number fluctuates with each

study as factors which contribute to “inaccessibility” are varying, relating not only to physical

proximity to fully stocked grocers and transportation availability, but also affordability of

healthy foods for county residents. In a 2009 report to Congress, the Department of Agriculture

defined an urban food desert as being an area where residents live over one kilometer (or a half

mile) away from a fully stocked grocer (Ploeg et al., 2009). This applies to North Charleston

where residents rely primarily on the Save-A-Lot grocery on the corner of Rivers and Durant

Avenues.

Save-A-Lot only provides relief to those living in the northern portion of North

Charleston and is the only fully stocked grocery in the area. In the southern portion of North

Charleston, residents' only easily accessible foods come from corner stores or fast food

restaurants which do not provide affordable, healthy food (Bowers, 2011). A 2010 MUSC study

surveyed fourteen of the area's convenience stores and found that, combined, they devoted less

than fifty feet of shelving space to fresh produce while providing over two thousand feet of shelf

space to soda and alcohol (Knich, 2011). A few small local restaurants, such as Isabell's

Kitchen, will sell fresh produce, but not at affordable prices for consistent shopping. At Isabell's

Kitchen a 14.5 oz. can of mustard greens is $1.49, a 10.8 oz. can of Campbell's chicken noodle

soup is $1.79, and a 12 oz. can of Hunt's tomato paste is $2.19. At Save-A-Lot these same items

would cost 79¢, $1.69, and 78¢, respectively (Bowers, 2011).


In the 2011 article by Knich, a North Charleston resident, April Jones, was

interviewed and discussed her typical route for grocery shopping. Jones does not have a car, so

she must use the bus, pay for a taxi, or take advantage of rides from her cousin to Save-A-Lot.

She usually takes a bus to the grocery store and then pays an additional $10 for the cab fare

home, with an added 25¢ charge for each bag of groceries. Jones is the mother of two and, like

many other North Charleston residents, the inaccessibility to a fully stocked grocery store is a

major complaint. For years lack of an accessible grocery story has been noted as such at town

meeting and city improvement meetings (Bowers, 2011).

Addressing North Charleston Food Insecurity

The most direct solution to this problem of food insecurity in North Charleston would be

the addition of a fully stocked grocery in a centrally located area, a prospect which is currently

being discussed by officials of the City of North Charleston. As of now the Mayor of North

Charleston, Keith Summey is working to draw in businesses to Shipwatch Village through

incentives such as financial contributions toward construction costs (Knich, 2011). Bill Stanfield

of Metanoia, a Christian community development group in North Charleston, states that ideally

this grocer would be a fully stocked, 45,000 square foot supermarket; however, due to the

economy and ulterior business problems, this is a complex and prolonged solution to North

Charleston food insecurity (Bowers, 2011). Many nonprofit and faith-based organizations in the

area are working to resolve North Charleston’s hunger crisis through community based solutions

currently implemented in other counties and states.

Community Solutions to Food Insecurity

Some of the alternative solutions being discussed among nonprofits like Stanfield's

Metanoia, the Lowcountry Housing Trust, the Lowcountry Food Bank and others are the


establishment of a grocery chain in the North Charleston area, the creation of a mobile food

pantry which could act like an ice cream truck, periodically transporting perishable and/or

nonperishable items to those in need, or the creation of a community garden. These have been

utilized before in communities around the country as ways to address food insecurity and, in

many cases, have proven to be effective.

Food Co-op/Farmers Market

Co-op markets have become increasingly prevalent as solutions to food insecurity.

Between the years of 1994 and 2002 farmers markets across America expanded 79%, giving

many urban areas increased access to fresh, affordable foods and providing support to local

economy. Food co-ops are given a relatively high success rate of 82%; however, operating public

markets in lower income communities is notoriously more challenging and less successful due to

a smaller disposable income, restrictive transportation, and limited awareness (Project for Public

Spaces, Inc., 2003). As a solution for a food insecure community, a weekly farmers' market

requires a central location and the provision of locally grown, fresh produce at affordable prices

(D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2007). Some of the difficulties associated with introducing a farmers’

market targeting low-income communities were identified by the Project for Public Spaces, Inc.

(2003) to be as follows: “difficulty in attracting farmers, [an] insufficient customer base, [the]

inability to meet venders’ financial expectations, [an] inability of small growers to meet

demands, [an] over-reliance on federal food aid programs/lack of cash sales, insufficient

community buy-in, [and a] difficulty in keeping the market producer-only” (p.8). Other

communities who have attempted to create low income-based farmers' markets have found that

these enterprises lack the local financial resources such as federal grants, mixed support from

high and low-income residents, and farmer subsidies needed to cover the initial operational costs


(D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2006). In areas like North Charleston that are being redeveloped and

diversified in terms of income and race, the varying community demographics may offer

additional support for the introduction of a food co-op (D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2006).

The District of Columbia is one area where food co-ops have been utilized to address a

community's food insecurity. The D.C. Office of Planning has facilitated many efforts to provide

an inclusive and diverse co-op which can be supported by and convenient for the higher-income

residents while still accommodating the lower-income residents who have limited means of

accessing fresh, unprocessed foods and rely on the co-op to fill this gap (D.C. Hunger Solutions,

2006).

One of the Office of Planning's most notable endeavors is the H Street Freshfarm Market

of Ward 6 of Washington, D.C is. It is structured as a community-based market, established with

the support of volunteers and the district’s residents and has the long-term goal of creating a

greater sense of community while providing a relief to those with little access to fresh produce.

The area, however, has recently been experiencing gentrification and the market’s primary

consumers are now middle to upper income citizens who use the market as an alternative to

stores such as Whole Foods (D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2007). In order to encourage the expansion

of the customer base and to become more inclusive to the low-income residents, D.C. Hunger

Solutions (2007) wrote an analytical guideline which discusses ways in which the H Street

Freshfarm Market and any community market may alter its structure in order to expand its

targeted audience. One of the first suggestions it makes is to account and provide the

infrastructure needed to accommodate those in lower socioeconomic brackets who rely on

federal nutrition programs such as food stamps, WIC benefits or other offshoots of federal aid

such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (South Carolina Department of Social


Services, n.d.). It also suggests the creation of partnerships within the community through

churches or other organizations in order to secure community interest, awareness, and

involvement in the co-op (D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2007).

Community Gardens

Community gardens are portions of land within a community that are devoted to

cultivation of fruits and vegetables for shared community use (D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2006).

Neighborhood communities across the nation have found resident-run gardens to be an

increasingly popular, successful, localized solution to food insecurity (Hall, 2010). A 2006 study

by D.C. Hunger Solutions found that community gardens promote neighborhood improvement

and community while also providing “environmental education and youth development” (p. 26).

A 20 foot by 20 foot plot of land can produce an average of $500 worth of food in a year, which

is slightly less the average benefit of a food stamp recipient (D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2006).

While the potential benefits of community gardens are evident, land availability, time, volunteer

ability, and transportation are all limiting factors to a community garden’s success. Of these

problems securing land is seen as the most challenging due to the rapidly increasing cost of land

and rapid pace of development (D.C. Hunger Solutions, 2006).

Types of Community Gardens. Many different types of community gardens have been

established across the country. For example, in Cleveland, Ohio, the Brooklyn Centre

Community Orchard has been established as a community run orchard where those who help

grow and harvest the plants receive the fresh produce. This is the most common community

garden model, where a diverse group of residents cultivate crops and then receive the product of

their harvests (Hall, 2010). In Worcester, Massachusetts, the Charlie Buffone Community

Garden is a community development run completely by the neighborhood's youth. Although


grown by a group of young people, the produce of this garden is donated to the community

residents, both individual families and other community programs such as senior homes. (Hall,

2010).

Community Gardens in Charleston. Clay Hampton is a resident of the Chicora-

Cherokee neighborhood in North Charleston who independently began a community garden in

an empty lot on Spruill Avenue three years ago. At this garden anyone can come and take

produce in exchange for work to the garden (Bowers, 2011). This is one instance in North

Charleston where an independent neighborhood member has utilized a community garden to

address the problem of food insecurity within his immediate community.

Metanoia is a Christian nonprofit based in North Charleston and founded by Reverend

Bill Stanfield, the organization’s CEO. Recently Metanoia has become increasingly involved in

the city of North Charleston’s effort to address the problem of food insecurity, a supplemental

focus to the organization’s founding mission of building affordable housing and providing after-

school programs for the residents (Bowers, 2011). Over the past several years Metanoia has

established the Metanoia Community Development Corporation, a program which allows local

Chicora Cherokee residents to oversee and benefit from the cultivation of an urban,

neighborhood garden. Through this introduction of this corporation, Metanoia has created a

reliable, local, and creative food source for residents in a food insecure area.

Mobile Food Pantries

Mobile food pantries have been implemented in many communities by food banks and, at

times, private organizations across the United States. Feeding South Florida describes the use of

a satellite food distribution network like a mobile pantry as “[the] most ambitious approach to

getting food to those who need it most” (Pennant, 2011, p. 1). Mobile food pantries operate like


an ice cream truck, carrying food goods, produce and/or packaged foods, to a designated

community, urban and/or rural, where it is then distributed within the community. Depending on

the structure and mission of the organization, food can either be donated or sold through the

mobile pantry (Greater Chicago Food Depository, n.d.). The use of mobile food pantries

provides individuals living in food deserts with access to healthy, affordable foods through an

unorthodox venue.

Variables of a Mobile Food Pantry. The format of a mobile food pantry is dependent

upon the type of organization and community which it serves. Depending on the breadth of the

organization promoting the mobile pantry program, the mobile pantry may accommodate

exclusively one local county or a large expanse of communities. The frequency and type of

distribution also will change based on the organization the funding of the program, types of food

product, the mission of the program, types of trucks available, and volunteer availability (A-M.,

Young, personal communication, April 27, 2012). Types of trucks are another variable present

amongst differing mobile pantry programs. Trucks which are responsible for perishable food

such as produce, dairy, meat and bake goods required refrigerated trucks while some containing

nonperishable foods such as canned goods can utilize non-refrigerated trucks (Greater Chicago

Food Depository, n.d.).

Financing a Food Pantry. Feeding South Florida estimated that it takes roughly $38,000

to provide 50 mobile pantry distributions in a year, a figure which accounts for staffing, fuel, and

transportation, and maintenance costs. While this particular organization calculated one

distribution event to cost roughly $760, this is a value that would vary based on the structure of

the mobile pantry program (Pennant, 2011). Food items in the mobile pantries are typically

donated by a grocery chain or sold by parent organizations, local farmers, or grocers at reduced


prices due to a nearing/passed expiration date, excess, or packaging abnormalities of a product

(Greater Chicago Food Depository, n.d.).

Funding for mobile pantry programs vary case by case. As an extension of a nonprofit

organization, these programs rely typically on private donations and/or grants available at

national, state, and/or county level (A-M., Young, personal communication, April 27, 2012). The

Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri, for example, was a recipient of a mobile pantry

truck from Kraft Foods and 14,000 pounds worth of donated food. This sizable donation from a

large commercial donor added to the organization’s existing mobile food pantry program and

aided the expansion and enhancement of the program (Demkiewicz, 2011).This type of large-

scale funding is typically unavailable for community organizations in the introductory stages of

establishing a mobile food pantry program. Instead many nonprofits and food banks rely on less

significant, less consistent donations from one or multiple smaller companies and/or grants to

cover introductory costs associated with a mobile pantry program. Nonprofit networks and

parent organizations such as Feeding America can also provide structural support and access to

government grants and food donations (A-M., Young, personal communication, April 27, 2012).

Community Impact of Mobile Food Pantries. The impact of a mobile food pantry

varies depending upon the program's scope and the population which it serves. Over the course

of two seasons the Helping Hands Food Pantry in New York City was able to donate 200,000

pounds of food to 2,328 people living in the area (Fresh Youth Initiatives, n.d.). Feeding

Florida's mobile food pantry program serves between 7,000 and 10,000 lbs. of food to roughly

300 individuals in a single distribution. With a weekly distribution frequency the organization

has the ability to serve roughly 477,000 pounds of food over the course of a year (Foundation

Source Philanthropic Services Inc., 2012). The Greater Chicago Food Depository (n.d.)


distributed roughly 5.3 million pounds of food to Chicago residents through the organizations

mobile food pantry program. Another mobile pantry program sponsored by the Food Bank for

Central and Northeast Missouri's delivers roughly 993,600 pounds of food across 32 different

counties within Missouri annually. These large disparities in a mobile pantry program's

distribution scope show the variations in community impact between organizations.

Mobile Food Pantry Program in North Charleston. The Lowcountry Food Bank,

received a retired beverage truck last year and began utilizing it as a distribution tool within the

North Charleston area but hopes to expand, enhance, and structure the program in the future. The

program currently gives food away in mass distributions at locations such as local schools or to

existing partnering agencies. A set schedule or list of recipients has yet to be established due to

the new nature of this program; however, the historic success of mobile pantry programs and

initial success of the Lowcountry Food Bank’s program indicates the potential for a positive

impact upon the organization's ten country service area (A-M., Young, personal communication,

April 27, 2012).

Conclusion

Food insecurity continues to become a more and more recognized issue in the United

States as it relates directly to a community’s wellbeing. As organizations and community

members work to confront this phenomena, many different methods are being attempted based

on the needs, size, and socioeconomic standing of the effected community and the capacity of

the available community outreach organizations. An MUSC study found North Charleston to be

a food insecure area, and many local organizations, both nonprofit and federally based, are

actively working to respond to this problem through the establishment of a fully stocked grocery,


a community garden, and a mobile food pantry program, amongst others (Murray, 2010). Each

proposed solution addresses a different demographic and has various benefits and disadvantages.

The Lowcountry Food Bank’s mobile food pantry program was created in 2011 and is

used as a satellite distribution center, donating nonperishable food items to those in need

specifically in North Charleston. This program has the capacity to become a pivotal and active

part of the Lowcountry Food Bank’s food distribution network and mission. Based on the

successes of mobile pantries of similarly structured food banks in similar communities, the

Lowcountry Food Bank's mobile pantry program has the potential to establish itself as a

beneficial, useful solution to food insecurity in not only North Charleston, but also in the

Lowcountry Food Bank's entire ten county service area.


Chapter III: Methodology

The use of a mobile pantry program is a recently popularized method for distributing

food to underserved areas via a satellite delivery vehicle (Pennant, 2011). The Lowcountry Food

Bank introduced its first ever mobile pantry program last year, after receiving the donation of a

retired beverage truck. The organization is currently utilizing the mobile pantry as a distribution

tool in the Accabee, Bayside, Chicora, and Ashley Shores neighborhoods of North Charleston;

however the organization has yet to clearly define the mission and structure of this program

(Lowcountry Food Bank, 2012). During this thesis process, the researcher analyzed the different

models of mobile pantries used by food banks across the country and then determined which

practices would be most effective to implement in the Lowcountry Food Bank's program given

the organizations mission, scope, and current available resources. The governing question was

“What is the most effective model for the Lowcountry Food Bank’s mobile pantry program

considering the gaps in its current distribution and available resources?” The method of this

research was qualitative analysis research as it required the observation and criticism of

variations of other mobile pantry programs. The evaluated variables of each program included

funding sources, food procurement strategies, distribution scope and frequency, product per

distribution, and additional staffing required. Practices utilized by other mobile pantry programs

were then contrasted and analyzed in terms of the Lowcountry Food Bank's structure and

mission in order to best determine which aspects of each model fit with the needs of the given

organization.

Participants

The researcher was the primary participant of this study; however she worked closely

with Ava-Martine Young and Anna Hamilton during the analysis of other mobile pantry models


and the Lowcountry Food Bank’s goals and potential. With the guidance of Ms. Hamilton and

Ms. Young the researcher found other food banks belonging to Feeding America that are similar

to the Lowcountry Food Bank in terms of annual pounds distributed and annual operating

expenses (Young, 27 April 2012). This information was found in Feeding America’s records on

Hungernet.org in the Excel documents entitled “FA Member Operating Expenses FY10” and

“FA Member Pounds and Meals Distributed FY10”. The first document contains the annual

operating expenses for the year 2010. In the year 2010 the Lowcountry Food Bank’s expenses

were $4.4 million so the researcher found for organizations with annual expenses between $3

million and $6 million (Feeding America, 2010, Operating Expenses). These food banks had to

simultaneously distribute between 15 and 20 million pounds of food annually as the Lowcountry

Food Bank distributed 18.6 million pounds of food in the year 2011 (Feeding America, 2010,

Pounds and Meals Distributed). In addition to these two preliminary qualifications the included

food banks had to have existing mobile pantry programs.

Materials

The researcher utilized data obtained from interviews with representatives and mobile

food pantry coordinators from eligible food banks. Information regarding the distribution gaps

within the Lowcountry Food Bank service area was additionally required. Feeding America

provides an annual report of which areas are above, below or at the organization's distribution

standard., thus providing the researcher with the needed information to determine the

Lowcountry Food Bank's distribution gaps (Young, 27 April 2012).

Procedure

The researcher created a set list of practices which were examined in each model. These

evaluated traits included cost of a single distribution, distribution type, food procurement


strategies, presence of existing agency relationships, shared maintenance fees, scope and

frequency of distribution, and primary sources of funding,. Six mobile pantry programs were

compared. The differences between each of the food pantry models, along with benefits and

difficulties associated with the various models were then recorded in a condensed, qualitative

summation. Additionally a table of quantitative comparisons of costs per distribution, number of

counties served, frequency of distribution, and shared maintenance fee, along with the annual

costs and pounds distributed of the evaluated programs was created. The goals, capabilities, and

needs of the Lowcountry Food Bank were then discussed in context of each of these different

models thus allowing the determination of which traits and/or models would best serve the needs

of the Lowcountry Food Bank. The traits which the researcher found to be the most applicable

and beneficial were compiled into a pilot mobile pantry model which the Lowcountry Food Bank

can begin to adopt as they so choose.

Evaluation

The success of the research project will be judged primarily by the employees of the

Lowcountry Food Bank as they will ultimately decide whether or not to adopt the

recommendations presented by the researcher. The data collected will be evaluated in order to

discern what factors of the analyzed mobile food pantry models are most effective for the

Lowcountry Food Bank's mobile pantry considering the organization's goals for the program.

The validity of this research will be tested through the application of the researcher's final mobile

pantry model and the success of the pilot program.

The data analysis created a clear evaluation of the benefits and disadvantages of different

practiced associated with various mobile pantry models and also discussed the assorted

applications of a mobile pantry program. The hypothesis would be confirmed if the Lowcountry


Food Bank deems the researcher’s conclusion qualified and accurate enough to apply to their

mobile pantry program.


Chapter IV: Findings

The original research question of “What is the most effective mobile pantry model for the

Lowcountry Food Bank considering the gap in current distribution and available resources?” was

addressed by evaluating mobile pantry programs of comparably sized and funded food banks. By

determining the most effective components of each model and then applying them to the capacity

and goals of the Lowcountry Food Bank, the researcher composed a recommended best practice

pilot program for the Lowcountry Food Bank to adopt for its new mobile pantry program,

Feeding America's Annual Network Report for the year 2012 indicates that the

Lowcountry Food Bank's annual operating expenses totaled $4,424,000.00 while distributing

roughly 18,688,000 pounds of food. Thus the preliminary qualifications for the food banks to be

analyzed were that the organization's annual operational costs for the year 2010 ranged between

3-6 million dollars while its distribution ranged between 15 to 25 million pounds. Food banks

which satisfied both of these qualifications while additionally having an existing mobile pantry

program were found through Feeding America FY10 reports to be the following: the Second

Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, the Montgomery Area Food Bank in

Montgomery, AL, the Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana in Indianapolis, IN, the Inner-Faith Food

Shuttle in Raleigh, NC and the Connecticut Area Food Bank in New Haven, CT. Additionally,

the Harvest Hope Food Bank in Columbia, SC and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in Verona,

VA were interviewed about their mobile pantry programs as the Lowcountry Food Bank has pre-

existing relationships with these organizations.

Second Harvest Food Bank

The Second Harvest Food Banks of East Tennessee, located in Knoxville, Tennessee,

distributed 15,597,420 pounds of food in 2010 with its annual operating expenses totaling at


$4,339,362.00. The organization service area consists of 18 rural counties, all of which the

mobile pantry program works through. The Second Harvest Food Bank hosts roughly fourteen

food distributions per month through their mobile pantry program, distributing between 180-

230,000 pounds of food per event. By distributing an average of 2,027,664 pounds per month,

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee's mobile pantry program is responsible for

approximately 13% of their annual pounds distributed. The mobile pantry program is the

recipient of 4% of the food bank's annual expenses.

The Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee's mobile pantry program is composed

of two trailers and five tractor trailers. These trailers are typically filled with donated or

reclaimed food product that is easily available within the warehouse. This slow-moving product

is supplemented, as needed, with purchased VAP product. Not including the cost of the

purchased supplements, a single mobile pantry distribution event costs $2,500.00, a figure which

includes the cost of goods, gas, truck maintenance, and labor. A large portion of this, however, is

offset by donations and grants.

The mobile pantry program partners with nonprofit organizations by request and does not

require any historical partnering relationship for mobile pantry distribution events. The shared

maintenance fee provided by these nonprofits is set at $1,000 per full trailer load of food. This

agency sponsorship covers roughly 32% of the total cost of a mobile pantry distribution.

Second Harvest Food Bank- 4% of annual expenses devoted to mobile pantry program

Annual operatingexpenses of SHFB

Annual budget of SHFBmobile pantry program


Due to its request-based distribution structure, the Second Harvest Food Bank of East

Tennessee's mobile pantry program has a consistent source of financial support for their mobile

pantry program through their partnering agencies' shared maintenance fee. With the mobile

pantry operating within areas with a strong enough agency and resource presence to support

mobile pantry distributions, the Second Harvest Food Bank does not typically use the mobile

pantry program as a tool to fill its distribution gaps.

The communities within the Second Harvest Food Bank's service area that have less

developed partnering agency relationships have historically struggled with supporting the mobile

pantry program. The Second Harvest Food Bank has worked to resolve this distribution

incongruity through the creation of a community sponsorship program. Through this program

local groups such as service organizations, local high schools, churches, Junior Leagues, and

other nonprofits have the opportunity to sponsor a food distribution event in targeted areas which

otherwise would have difficulties supporting a food distribution event. This funding is not

always available, however, making distributions through this program inconsistent.

Montgomery Area Food Bank

The Montgomery Area Food Bank, located in Montgomery, Alabama, distributes

approximately 16,018,958 pounds annually with an average operational cost of $2,235,791.00.

The Montgomery Area Food Bank has 35, predominately rural, counties within its targeted

service area; however, the mobile pantry program only operates within twelve of these counties.

There are, on average, ten food distribution events through the mobile pantry program per

month, each distributing between 12,000 and 15,000 pounds of food. The mobile pantry program

is responsible for the distribution of roughly 1,620,000 pounds per year, providing 10.1% of the

Montgomery Area Food Bank's annual pounds distributed.


The Montgomery Area Food Bank typically hosts these mobile pantry events through

established partnering agencies which can request mobile pantry distributions. A single

distribution of both dry goods and fresh produce incurs a total cost of roughly $1,250.00, a figure

which is partially counteracted by a shared maintenance fee of $250 that is requested from

partnering agencies.

At a distribution the twelve palettes of the truck are set up in the parking lot of the agency

which hosts the event. Volunteers of the agency set up and distribute the palettes while those

receiving food from the program line up in their cars in a drive-through style. By using this

distribution method, they successfully serve roughly 150 families in as little as two hours.

The Montgomery Area Food Bank also uses the mobile pantry program to reach out to

underserved communities within its service area. The pantry program is implemented as a tool to

make additional poundage more accessible in high-need areas while simultaneously establishing

and strengthening relationships with partnering agencies within these targeted communities.

Bullet County is one of the counties within the Montgomery Area Food Bank service area in

which there are few historical partnerships. In counties such as this, the Montgomery Area Food

Bank has been able to cultivate relationships with and work through the county's social services

agencies, the commissioner’s office, housing agencies, and the Department of Public Health.

When introducing the mobile pantry program into these counties the food bank initially

Montgomery Area Food Bank- 21% of annual distribution via mobile pantry program

Total pounds distributed throughMAFBTotal distributed through MAFBmobile pantry program


sponsored mass give-away distributions through these organizations or smaller nonprofits. These

distributions were resource investments for the food bank; however, the Montgomery Area Food

Bank found that this method helped educate the targeted area about the mobile pantry program

and its commitment to those within their community. Once the presence and benefits of the

mobile pantry program is known to this targeted community and to the area's nonprofit

organizations and social service agencies, the establishment of partnerships with these

organizations was more easily made. With the creation of these partnerships came the

availability of additional grants and sponsorships within local agencies as the Montgomery Area

Food Bank could then cite and submit specific data regarding the number of families assisted

through the mobile pantry program and the scopes of past distributions.

These atypical agency partnerships with Social Service agencies, County Commissioners

offices, and housing agencies provided the mobile pantry program with partnerships and

sponsorships previously unavailable to the food bank. The Montgomery Area Food Bank has

found that typically these agencies are unable to offer contributions equivalent to typical

partnering agencies; however, the assistance has aided the mobile pantry program's ability to

access these high-need counties.

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

In the fiscal year of 2012 the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank located in Verona, VA

distributed 21,000,000 pounds of food with a budget of $5,043,990.00. The mobile pantry

program was responsible for the distribution of 1 million of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank's 21

million pounds of food, accounting for roughly 4.8% of its annual distribution. This was

accomplished while devoting 5% of the annual operational expenses to the mobile pantry

program, or roughly $252,200.00.


While the food bank is responsible for 34 legal jurisdictions, 25 counties and 9 cities, the

mobile pantry program's primary role in the food bank is not yet declared. Currently the mobile

pantry distributes to five locations, hosting a total of eight distribution events per month.

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank distributions are typically organized through interfaith

networks. At this point in the mobile pantry program's development, the Blue Ridge Area Food

Bank is currently incurring all costs of distributions. By eliminating a shared maintenance fee for

its partnering agencies at this time, the food bank hopes to establish an awareness of the mobile

pantry program so, in the future, organizations will seek out the mobile pantry program. While

this current practice is making the distributions costs a challenge for the food bank, it is the first

step of a financing plan. For any new organization that becomes a partnering agency, the first

twelve months of distributions will be free. For the following six months the organization will be

asked to provide between 25- 50% of the typical shared maintenance fee for partnering agencies.

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank- 4% annual distribution via mobile pantry program

Total pounds distributed throughBRAFBTotal distributed through BRAFBmobile pantry program

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank- 5% of annual expense devoted to mobile pantry program

Annual operating expenses ofBRAFBAnnual budget of BRAFB mobilepantry program


(This standard shared maintenance fee is not yet decided upon; however, the food bank predicts a

figure between $300 and $500.) This proportional contribution is maintained until the 19th

month where the organization is requested to sponsor the mobile pantry's distribution event at the

full partnering agency rate.

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank has also been able to derive funding from the grants

from local organizations or institutions. For example, during the start up of the mobile pantry

program, two large donations were made from a private business in Charlottesville and the

University of Virginia. These grants in and of themselves are not renewable; however, as they

come from established sources comparable donations could be predicted to be made in the future

as well.

Gleaners Food Bank

The Gleaners Food Bank, located in Indianapolis, IN, distributed 16,006,340 pounds of

food in the fiscal year of 2010 with an annual operating budget of $5,766,267.00. The food bank

has 21 counties in its service area with the mobile pantry program operating with 19 of these.

Within these counties the mobile pantry program hosts roughly 20 distribution events per month,

serving an average of 480 individuals per distribution. At each mobile pantry event around 7,500

pounds of food are distributed. With 1,438,198 pounds distributed through the mobile pantry

program in 2012, Gleaners Food Bank distributed 7% of their annual poundage through the

mobile pantry program.


The average cost of a mobile pantry distribution is $1,500; however, this figure is largely

reduced by grants, donations, and a shared maintenance fee provided by partnering agencies.

This fee is equal to that of a typical agency charge, plus the charge of any purchased product.

The mobile pantry program of Gleaners Food Bank was recently restructured so that it

could better be used as a tool to accommodate underserved counties and fill distribution gaps.

Gleaner's mobile pantry program hosts some distribution events at night or during the weekends,

times when food assistance is traditionally unavailable, as to effectively expand distribution

service to those in high need. Gleaners has found that providing these distribution events in

underserved areas in tandem with outreach programs on behalf of its Agency Relations team has

effectively allowed the development of community partnerships in areas that were historically

lacking.

Harvest Hope Food Bank

The Harvest Hope Food bank, located in Columbia, SC, distributed 25,576,136 pounds of

food in the year 2010, while having annual operation expenses of $6,110,388.00. This food bank

has a twenty county service area, five of which host mobile pantry distribution events. With

roughly 33 food distribution events per month, the mobile pantry program is responsible for

distributing roughly 6% of Harvest Hope’s annual pounds distributed.

Gleaners Food Bank- 7% annual distribution via mobile pantry program

Total pounds distributed throughGleaners

Total distributed through Gleanersmobile pantry program


The Harvest Hope Food Bank offers its mobile pantry distribution events to any

organization or location within a high-need, underserved region. Some of these distributions are

mass distribution events located in untraditional areas, such as a dentist office or another central

site in the targeted community, while others are hosted at local nonprofit organizations, typically

churches. Partnering sites and agencies can participate in mobile pantry events for up to a year

before becoming a formal partnering agency.

There are no partnering agency fees associated with the mobile pantry program. The

primary funding for the distribution events comes from grants and private sponsorships.

Boxes of food are packaged in advanced and distributed at the food event. Each two hour

distribution costs the food bank $270.00, a figure not including food costs as all product

distributed through the mobile pantry program is donated. Representatives from the Harvest

Hope Food Bank do not encourage this practice as it has historically instigated competition

between traditional partnering agencies and the mobile pantry program for popular food product.

Inner-Faith Shuttle

The Inner-Faith Food Shuttle, located in Raleigh, North Carolina distributed 5,723,878

pounds of food in the year 2010 with final operating expenses totaling at $1,945,816. While this

food bank's primary mission is food service and distribution to those in need, under its current

leader the Inner-Faith Food Shuttle has enhanced its focus on nutrition. Unlike the majority of

Feeding America food banks, the Inner-Faith Food Shuttle derives the majority of its food

product through reclamation programs in chains, restaurants, and grocery stores. The shuttle

distributes across seven counties and typically has a monthly "Emergency Food Relief"

distribution. This type of distribution reserves room for the unpredictable and allows the food

bank, in the event of an emergency, to have the ability to distribute wherever it may be


immediately needed at the time. In addition to this monthly distribution the mobile pantry truck

is used as a "mobile market" to promote nutrition. Across the seven community service area the

truck hosts nutrition workshops that educate about nutrition, demonstrates how to prepare several

types of healthy meals with available foods, and then introduces a monthly health challenge for

families in the area.

The Inner-Faith Food Shuttle uses its mobile pantry program primarily as a tool to extend

its nutrition agenda rather than fill or enhance a distribution gap like the majority of the other

mobile pantries analyzed. This is dissimilar from the methods and practices implemented in other

food bank's mobile pantry programs while still effectively providing food assistance to those in

need and simultaneously promoting nutritional outreach.


Chapter V: Discussion

The researcher's recommendations to the Lowcountry Food Bank's mobile pantry

program are based on effective models and practices that foster relations to underserved counties.

The researcher also includes predictions regarding the percent increase of pounds distributed

through the mobile pantry program and the annual finances required to facilitate a mobile pantry

program with various models. This information can be compiled to create the outline for an

introductory pilot program.

Trends

Various applications for the mobile pantry program were evident. Some like the Blue

Ridge Area Food Bank, Gleaners Food Bank, and the Montgomery Area Food Bank focus on

filling the food bank's distribution gap and others like the Inner Faith Food Shuttle use their

program as an instrument to facilitate nutrition classes and cooking demonstrations. Of the food

banks interviewed the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee's mobile pantry program

had the least amount of focus on filling distribution gaps.

All of the food banks that were interviewed had a dynamic within their mobile pantry

program that required shared maintenance fees for the distributions to cover the remaining costs

after donations and grants were taken into account. The exact methods for gaining the funding

for these distributions and the frequency of distributions varied. The Second Harvest Food Bank

of East Tennessee distributes to areas unable to pay distribution costs only as sponsorships arise

and do not fully utilize the mobile pantry program as a tool to fill their current distribution gap.

Each of the food banks interviewed also had an established outreach program to solicit

partnering agency relationships within their targeted service area.


All mobile pantry programs required additional personnel and allocation of resources in

order to be successful. While the Montgomery Area Food Bank was able to facilitate 21% of

their annual distribution through the mobile pantry program the most realistic percentage of

Lowcountry Food Bank's annual distribution that this program will account for is 6%, a value

similar to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Of the food banks interviewed The Blue Ridge Area

Food Bank's mobile pantry program was considered the most comparable to the Lowcountry

Food Bank's program simply because it has a similar scope and level of newness.

Pilot Program Recommendations

The final product of the interviews and data collections is formulated into the

recommendations for a six month pilot program for the Lowcountry Food Bank.

Based on the data collected, the mobile pantry program has the capacity to contribute to

4-10% of the food bank's total distribution. With the annual pounds distributed from the

Lowcountry Food Bank being 18,688,000 pounds in 2012 there can be a conservative

expectation of at least a 6% or 1,122,000 pound addition to the annual distribution. The

interviews also indicated that the mobile pantry program would comprise between roughly 5% of

the annual operating expenses for a food bank of similar scope and financing to the Lowcountry

Food Bank. Considering the Lowcountry Food Bank's 2012 annual operation expenses of

$4,424,000.00 its mobile pantry program's budget would be roughly $221,200.00. This

percentage is based on the data from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank's mobile pantry program.

During its first year of operation it comprised 4% of the food bank's total pounds distributed; the

researcher projects a number slightly higher as a result of the structured pilot program which the

Lowcountry Food Bank is organizing before implementing its mobile pantry program. The data

also supports the recommendation for a food bank structured similarly to the Lowcountry Food


Bank to utilize the mobile pantry program as a point of distribution for purchased goods rather

than donated. The expenses incurred by purchasing products would be included in the speculated

annual budget.

Mission of Program Model

The Montgomery Area Food Bank, Harvest Hope Food Bank, Blue Ridge Area Food

Bank, and Gleaners Food Bank each had mobile pantry programs which operated with the

central focus of making food distribution events more accessible to areas considered underserved

by Feeding America standards and with an insufficient presence of partnering agencies within

the community. Operating with this operational goal in mind, the Lowcountry Food Bank's

mobile pantry model will be structured as a tool for distribution in high-need areas while also

acting as a vessel to facilitate financial and community partnerships within the areas it serves.

Distributing Schedule and Scope of the Program

For the initial six months of the mobile pantry program, the researcher recommends the

projected amount of monthly distributions to be between eight and ten. The counties which are

considered high-need by Feeding America have been determined to be as follows: Jasper,

Hampton, Colleton, and Williamsburg. These four counties will thus be the concentrated focus of

the mobile pantry program.

Financial and Distribution Needs

As the counties which this pilot program aims to serve currently have underdeveloped

agency relationships the bulk of this funding would be derived from grants and proper allocation

of finances from within the Lowcountry Food Bank's annual budget. Mobile pantry programs in

food banks such as Gleaners Food Bank, Montgomery Area Food Bank, Blue Ridge Area Food

Bank, and the Harvest Hope Food Bank implement an agency development team or partnership.


The Gleaners Food Bank's Agency Relations Team works to find qualified nonprofit

organizations or groups within the targeted service area which can develop the capacity to

support distribution events with the assistance of the food bank. This practice has allowed these

food banks to utilize their mobile pantry program as a tool to expand their agency network.

The Harvest Hope Food Bank and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank both have teams

working via their mobile pantry programs to facilitate the establishment of partnering agency

relationships with existing community organizations. Both food banks utilize an agency

development protocol which allows for the first year's worth of mobile pantry events to be

sponsored exclusively by the food bank. After these initial twelve months of structuring a

partnering agency relationship with this new organization, the food bank works through the

organization as a community partnering organization, which then provides sponsorship for the

future distribution through the shared maintenance fee. After the first twelve months of

developing a partnering agency relationship with the food bank, Blue Ridge Area Food bank

requests a sponsorship of the mobile pantry distribution event of 25-50% of the shared

maintenance fee for partnering organizations for the next six months. Following the eighteenth

month this sponsorship is requested to match a full normal agency fee.

When developing the Lowcountry Food Bank's mobile pantry program the researcher

recommends allocating resources to forging relationships within the community with

organizations, nonprofits, and county agencies with the ability to lend support to the mobile

pantry program, both financially and otherwise. In tandem with this initiative to cultivate

community relationships in underserved areas, it is recommended to also provide additional staff

and federal resources. These federal resources would include government provided food

assistance such as SNAP and WIC. Having information and resources about these programs


available at the mobile pantry distribution sites allows an increase in the number of those who

can connect and submit SNAP and WIC applications and thus redirect a portion of their hunger

needs to stable assistance programs.

Staffing and Procurement Needs

For the described proposal above, additional staffing and resources would be required for

the introduction of both an Agency Development Team and the connecting of local individuals

with federal food assistant programs such as SNAP and WIC. While requiring preliminary

funding, other food banks found that establishing these teams to work in tandem with the mobile

pantry program has provided sponsorships for the mobile pantry programs within the targeted

community and directed some food assistance needs towards the consistent channel of federally

funded programs.

The majority of the food banks included in the interview process rely on donated food

product to distribute through their mobile pantry program, while some, at times, supplement with

purchased produce as available. The Lowcountry Food Bank, has constraints on its ability to

access donated product unspoken for by other programs. There is, however, room for growth in

other food procurement avenues for the Lowcountry Food Bank such as warehouse partnerships,

retail sponsorships, and purchased products through Feeding America (VAP). While purchased

product is an available outlet there is typically high competition among other food banks for

product. Thus this venue, while offering supplementary opportunity for product, fails to provide

a sustainable primary source of product for the mobile pantry program.

Currently food product manufacturers and warehouses are underdeveloped venues of

food procurement for the Lowcountry Food Bank, and a number of these opportunities for food

procurement exist within the Lowcountry Food Bank's ten county service area. These sources of


food provide goods that are not fit to be sold on the market due to overproduction, outdated

labeling, or distressed packaging and will typically provide this product via either donation or at

a highly reduced cost. Within the Lowcountry Food Bank there is an insufficient allocation of

staffing toward this area of food procurement and a lack of resources (equipment and truck

drivers) to physically obtain this product. Reallocating and supplementing resources and staffing

to the area of food procurement could contribute to the establishment of community partnerships

which may be sustained for years to come.

The Lowcountry Food Bank mobile pantry program can also utilize excessively stocked

warehouse food product as a supplement to the mobile pantry program's primary source of food

procurement. Product overlooked by other partnering agencies that are stocked beyond capacity

within the warehouse can be given away at a food distribution that is paired with a preparation

demo, educating recipients about how to best make use of the food product they are receiving,

thus creating more receptive audiences for the food product which the food bank is providing.

This would contribute again to need for additional staffing and organization of a nutrition or

preparation demonstration at applicable food distribution events.

Beneficial Methods for Soliciting Support in Underserved Communities

The researcher recommends two practices in order to make the mobile pantry program

more accessible for counties without developed community partnerships or agency relationships.

A sponsorship program should be created so that local organizations can donate a

determined amount and sponsor a distribution to a site in need. Organizations could include

church groups, schools, and other nonprofit organizations. This could be established as a

supplemental source of income for underserved counties, rather than the primary source of

funding. When implemented in the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee it was found to


be a fairly inconsistent form of primary funding and thus incongruent with the goals of the

Lowcountry Food Bank's mobile pantry program. It still, however, can be used as a supplemental

avenue of funding for the mobile pantry program while simultaneously providing a venue to

increase awareness of the Lowcountry Food Bank, the mobile pantry program, and their

functions.

A relationship with federal and local government institutions should be established. It is

recommended that a relationship with areas such as the county commissioner's office, the county

housing agency, and social services office are built. It is recommended specifically that there are

several initial distributions within the areas these offices cater to in order to first establish the

presence and benefits of the mobile pantry program. These benefits can then be presented to

these offices and provide a strong case for the support of the mobile pantry program and the

provision of a shared maintenance fee from these government offices. The four counties within

the Lowcountry Food Bank's service area deemed to be underserved are Jasper, Hampton,

Colleton, and Williamsburg. The researcher recommends this as it may result in the eventual

provision of consistent funding; although, initially, the Lowcountry Food Bank could choose to

charge or not to charge these agencies.

Relevance

The recommendations provided by this project to the Lowcountry Food Bank regarding

mobile pantry programs allow for a more informed formulation of a pilot mobile pantry program.

This will then allow a more effective and expansive allocation of the Lowcountry Food Bank's

resources in order to distribute more food to more people. This information can also be shared

with other food banks across the country who are attempting to establish a mobile pantry


program with similar goals of filling a distribution gap. This would, on a larger scale, accomplish

the same goal of getting more pounds of food out to more people most effectively.

Shortcomings and Recommendations for Future Research

The shortcoming of these recommendations could be derived primarily from the

methodology and limited scope of the food banks which fit all of the set qualifications. Within

this limited number of qualified food banks there were variations of missions of the mobile

pantry programs and various factors into each food bank's distribution practices.

This shortcoming could be partially remedied by a more complete comparison of the

differences between each of the food banks and the Lowcountry Food Bank. This would allow

the practices of other mobile pantry programs to be more accurately tailored to fit the differing

needs of the Lowcountry Food Bank.

Statement of Conclusion

The Lowcountry Food Bank has the capacity to increase their distribution to those in

need by up to 20%, giving food to those who need it most. By creating the most economically

and logistically effective model, the program has a greater chance of succeeding and being a

sustainable outlet for years to come while also allowing for the most direct and efficient use of

resources. While intended for the Lowcountry Food Bank these recommendations can be applied

and shared with other food banks across the United States. As hunger in America becomes a

more and more prominent issue seen today, the creation of comprehensive, modern, and

unorthodox programs such as the mobile pantry programs allows the most effective allocation of

resources. By providing a more complete summation of the benefits of a mobile pantry program

and a detailed account of what distribution changes and expenses are associated with it, this set

of recommendations for an introductory programs has the potential to make mobile pantries as a


whole a more practical and accessible solution to hunger and assist to the alleviation of this

pressing social issue.


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