Hunger Task Force Report February 8th 2016

Access Subcommittee Goals Assess unmet food needs and increase access points where needed Develop recommendations to increase access and reduce barriers to obtaining unmet food needs

The Need

Assessments Key Informant Interviews Food Pantry Survey Food Interview Food Assistance Provider Survey Spatial Analysis

Key Informant Interviews Met with community members who were identified as working with people who experience food insecurity Key informant interviews Jama Lidral (IC Free Lunch Program) Joan Vandenburg (ICCSD) Pastor Diane Townsley (Oxford UMC) Tess Knox (Social Worker, CCA School District) Focus groups/community meetings Shueyville UMC Swisher North Liberty Unity Sharon Center UMC Oxford survey

Food Pantry Survey Asked food pantry clients their opinions about the services they access, what they see as possible solutions in order to assess the need/barriers of those currently being served 473 survey responses from 6 pantries Participating pantries: The Crisis Center of Johnson County Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry North Liberty Community Pantry Iowa City Compassion Solon Community Food Pantry CCA Community Food Pantry (Tiffin)

Food Interview Conducted in-depth interviews with people who self-identify as being food insecure but are not currently accessing services (SNAP, pantries, hot meal sites) to learn the need/barriers of those not currently being served 9 participants total 5 not currently accessing services 4 using services but still self-identifying need (older adults) Respondents from North Liberty, Oxford, Iowa City Iowa City respondents reside in low-income senior housing and mobile home courts

Food Assistance Provider Survey Asked food assistance providers about their services, issues their organization and clients face, and what they see as solutions 13 Participating organizations: Lone Tree Community Food Pantry The Crisis Center of Johnson County St. Joseph’s Pantry (Hills) HACAP Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry Elder Services/Meals on Wheels North Liberty Community Pantry Free Lunch Program of Iowa City Iowa City Compassion WIC Solon Community Food Pantry CCA Community Food Pantry (Tiffin) Agape Cafe

Spatial Analysis Used Crisis Center client data to generate heat maps of client density relative to existing resources: food pantries, grocery stores, senior dining sites, bus stops, backpack programs Recommends site suitability for new locations of: backpack programs, senior dining sites, food pantries

Barriers to Increasing Food Security (Consumer) Transportation Lack of awareness about resources and eligibility requirements Logistics of carrying heavy groceries when walking or using public transit Stigma Difficulties with completion and approval of SNAP application Availability of healthy foods Limited services (food deserts) in rural areas SNAP not accepted at Farmers’ Markets and CSA’s Program restrictions with providers for SNAP eligibility

Barriers to Increasing Food Security (Provider) Lack of dry, cold, freezer storage in Johnson County Regulations on storage, foods that can be accepted and distributed, eligibility for accepting SNAP (Feeding America, FDA, USDA, OAA) Limited resources Limited inventory to meet demand; including protein, non-food items, pet foods, donation of local produce Lack of participation in summer feeding programs and school breakfast Lack of interpreters Limited culturally diverse foods (urban pantries)

Pantry Survey Key Findings

Pantry Survey Key Findings Cont. 58% receive half of more of their food from pantries 48% reported eating less than they wanted at least one time in the past 30 days because they did not have enough food 21% reported getting their food from friends or family in the last month

Pantry Survey Key Findings Cont.

Pantry Survey Key Findings Cont. 31% surveyed were not using the pantry nearest their home; 63% of those didn’t know about their community pantry 15% reported visiting more than one pantry in the last month 50% of those reported not receiving enough food at one pantry 53% of those reported visiting more than one pantry for the variety of items

Pantry Survey Key Findings Cont.

Provider Survey Key Findings Little outreach conducted, yet a high demand for services Fresh produce pantries would like to have more of; apples, potatoes, onions, carrots, melons, corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries 86% of pantries reported the highest demand items are meat, and eggs. Milk is also highly requested 100% of the urban pantries reported that their organization would benefit from translators and additional storage

Potential Solutions Services Systemic Outreach

Problem-Solution Map