Publication Date

1991

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

King, Sondra L.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Human and Family Resources

LCSH

Food relief--United States

Abstract

Approximately EO million U.S. citizens lack enough to eat at least two days each month. The task of providing assistance to the nation's needy is one which is shared by Federal, state, and local governments and the private sector. Assistance from government agencies include food stamps, feeding programs for school children and the elderly, food instruments for women, infants, and children and surplus commodities. The private voluntary sectors have developed food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens to fill the gap of government programs. The purpose of this study was to explore why people use or don’t use food pantries; to explore the sujects’ explanation of hunger; to gain insight into household characteristics and the set of circumstances that caused the person to use the food pantry. Forty food pantry users and forty non-food pantry users were given questionnaires to fill out. Results showed that those in need included all age brackets and that unemployment or underemployment were the major reasons for seeking assistance. Social security and public aid payments did not seem to meet the basic needs of some households.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [60]-62)

Extent

74 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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