Resourcefulness, Desperation, Shame, Gratitude and Powerlessness: Common Themes Emerging from A Study of Food Bank Use in Northeast Scotland

Abstract

There is growing policy maker and public concern about current trends in food bank use in Scotland. Yet little is known about the experiences of those seeking help from food banks in this country. This research aimed to address this issue by studying the use and operation of a food bank situated in a rich northeast city during January and June 2014. The study aimed to establish who was seeking help from the food bank, their reasons for doing so, and what those who did thought of, and dealt with the food they received from it. Consequently, an audit of the food bank's client database, four months of participant observation based in the food bank, and seven face-to-face interviews with current and former food bank clients were conducted. The audit revealed that clients came from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, with men more likely to access it compared to women. Debt and social security benefit delays were cited as the main reasons for doing so. Qualitative data confirmed that sudden and unanticipated loss of income was a key driver of use. Resourcefulness in making donated food last as long as possible, keeping fuel costs low, and concern to minimise food waste were commonly described by participants. Desperation, gratitude, shame and powerlessness were also prevalent themes. Furthermore, clients were reluctant to ask for food they normally ate, as they were acutely aware that the food bank had little control over what it was able offer. Insights from this study suggest that recent UK policy proposals to address food poverty may have limited impact, without concomitant effort to address material disadvantage. Research is urgently required to determine the precise nature and extent of household level food insecurity in Scotland, and to consider monitoring for adverse physical and mental health outcomes for those affected by it.

‘Sometimes, it's not just about the food': The social identity dynamics of foodbank helping transactions

“…Ethan's account highlights the dread associated with realising there is a need to visit a foodbank, reflecting existing literature (Douglas et al, 2015;Garthwaite, 2016a). He explains how this stopped him coming in the past (even during a 'really, really bad week') and acknowledges the role of the media in reinforcing the image of clients taking advantage of foodbanks (in line with Wells and Caraher's (2014) review of UK media's foodbank reporting).…”

The experiences and perceptions of food banks amongst users in high-income countries: An international scoping review

“…The 20 papers included in this review are all empirical studies that collected some form of 110 qualitative data from individuals who had received food assistance from food banks. Seven studies 111 used one qualitative method 4,10,20,24,27,35,36 , six studies used more than one qualitative method 21, 23, 112 26,30,31,33 , five used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods 25,28,29,32,37 , and two studies used 113 multiple qualitative methods along with quantitative methods 22,34 . The range of qualitative methods 114 used can be seen below in Table 2.…”

“…The studies included ranged from published 126 literature 4, 10, 21, 27, 29-31, 33, 34, 36, 37 , to theses 20,[22][23][24][25][26]28 and organisation reports 32,35 and were published 127 between 1999 and 2015. Most were conducted in Canada 10,[20][21][22][23][24]29 , followed by the United 128 Kingdom (UK) 4,[32][33][34][35] , the United States of America (USA) 27,30,36,37 , New Zealand 25, 28 and the 129 Netherlands 26,31 . There were no Australian studies found that met the criteria for this review.…”

“…132 133 Four studies examined and recruited participants from one particular food bank, Lethbridge 134 Canada 20 , the Netherlands 31 , North East England 33 and North East Scotland 34 , while the remaining 135 16 focused on multiple facilities 4, 10, 21-30, 32, 35-37 . The description of the specific food service used 136 was not provided by all studies, but based on the studies that did provide the information, it was 137 clear that the vast majority of services were providing pre-packaged parcels 4, 20-26, 28, 30-34, 36, 37 , with 138 some providing choice of extra items 10,23,36,37 , and one where individuals could select their own 139 food items 34 . 140…”

“…153 154 Some participants in these studies had come to rely on the food bank, stating that they would not 155 know what they would do without the food provided from these facilities 21,37 . In this way, food 156 banks were sometimes viewed as a "lifeline" 33,34 , something that prevented users from resorting to 157 other more drastic, sometimes illegal strategies to obtain food 33,34 . Participants in both De Marco 158 (2009) and McNeill (2011) described food bank as a "godsend", meaning they felt "blessed" that 159 this service was available to them 27,28 .…”