This story first appeared in the Spring 2024 edition of our “Peas & Carrots” newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here.
Take a look at the graph above. While appears that we are serving around the same number of people today that we did before the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s more to the story. As our community partners’ needs have evolved, so has our response. Here’s what’s different:
Types of Meals Delivered
While the vast majority of the meals we delivered pre-pandemic were in pans, served in community settings, the demand for meals packaged in individual serving containers and sandwiches continues to reach new peaks. This trend speaks to the increasing demands on our partners’ staff and programs, who want to simplify meals, or do not have the means to heat and serve.
Increased Demand from Pantries
Moreover, while the number of meals we deliver has returned to near pre-pandemic levels, the demand for food items (like packaged snacks, shelf-stable items, and excess ingredients we rescue) from pantry partners continues to grow. We distribute more than 200,000 pounds of food products to our partners each month.
New Requests from Smaller Organizations
Recently, requests from organizations wanting to begin a partnership with Second Helpings are coming from smaller entities like group homes. These organizations may have seen the demand for their services increase, felt a strain on their own food budget, or perhaps only recently learned about Second Helpings’ programs.
While we can’t predict future trends around food insecurity, we are committed to meeting our community’s needs – as defined by the community itself.
Throughout our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan are strategies informed by our overall goal to serve as many people as possible in the best ways possible. Over the next few years, we’ll get increasingly deliberate about gathering and responding to feedback from partners, donors, volunteers, staff, and those who eat our food.
We’ll make sure our processes are as efficient and effective as possible and that our facility is sufficient for us to meet our community’s growing needs. We’ll see an increased focus on community engagement and outreach, so that we can ensure we can continue meeting those needs in the future.
As prices for basic needs like food continue to rise, community support is critical to ensure we can continue evolving with our community’s needs. Thank you for your commitment to Second Helpings’ mission to address hunger today and build self-sufficiency to prevent hunger tomorrow.