The aim of this research study is to understand the perceptions, opinions and feelings of 35 guests participating in selected “traditional” self-service food pantries, before and after proposed national entitlement policy changes in the US.
The research team developed a focus group and interview guide based on a review of comparable studies, incorporating domains related to emotions and structural barriers to food pantry use. Qualitative data were collected through five focus groups and individual interviews with 35 pantry guests in northern New Jersey during fall 2024 and spring 2025 at two large pantries within a regional network serving approximately 4,000 families (13,000 individuals) monthly. All interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed using established qualitative protocols, with themes collaboratively developed and triangulated among the three investigators to ensure rigor and transparency.
Analysis of the focus group and follow-up interview data yielded seven overarching themes; Being “In the Middle”; Underlying Conditions Shaping Pantry Use; Awareness of Food Waste; Community Sharing and Inclusiveness; Stigma and Pride and Anxiety, Fear and Apprehension.
Pantries should pursue strategies to help alleviate stress, fear and anxiety among traditional pantry guests, as well as those in the middle who do not qualify for benefits and are food-vulnerable and economically or socially insecure.
This study contributes to understanding the perceived consequences of recent policy decisions that may affect entitlement programs, particularly for individuals who depend on these programs as part of the social safety net.
This investigation offers a unique assessment of guest perspectives in two food pantries, conducted before and after proposed US national entitlement policy changes between fall 2024 and spring 2025.
