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43 J. Soc. & Soc. Welfare 71 (2016)
The Cost of Free Assistance: Why Low-Income Individuals Do Not Access Food Pantries

handle is hein.journals/jrlsasw43 and id is 71 raw text is: The Cost of Free Assistance: Why Low-Income Individuals Do Not Access Food Pantries KELLEY FONG Department of Sociology Harvard University RACHEL A. WRIGHT Sacred Heart Community Service CHRISTOPHER WIMER Columbia Population Research Center Non-governmental free food assistance is available to many low- income Americans through food pantries. However, most do not use this assistance, even though it can be worth over $2,000 per year. Survey research suggests concrete barriers, such as lack of information, account for non-use. In contrast, qualitative studies focus on the role of cultural factors, such as stigma. Drawing on interviews with 53 low-income individuals in San Francisco who did not use food pantries, we reconcile these findings by illus- trating how the two types of barriers are connected. Reasons for non-use such as need, information, long lines, and food quality were rooted in respondents' subjective understandings of those for whom the service was intended, those perceived to use the service, and the service's respect for the community. Increasing non- profit service utilization requires attention to how potential users relate seemingly objective barriers to subjective interpretations. Key words: poverty, food pantries, food assistance, service use, nonprofits Hunger is a substantial problem in the United States. More Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, March 2016, Volume XLE, Number 1 71

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