Report: Experiences of Neighbors Who Access Food Pantries
CONNECTICUT FOODSHARE AND UCONN RELEASE REPORT HIGHLIGHTING EXPERIENCES OF NEIGHBORS WHO ACCESS FOOD PANTRIES
(Wallingford, CT) - A newly published report from Connecticut Foodshare and UConn's Health Equity Lab for the People (HELP) is providing a closer look at the experiences of Connecticut neighbors who access food pantries. Findings show many neighbors rely on food assistance regularly while facing difficult choices between food and other basic needs.
The report, Experiences of Neighbors Who Access Food Pantries, was developed by Connecticut Foodshare in partnership with Dr. Kristen Cooksey Stowers, principal investigator of UConn’s HELP, and her research team. Surveys were conducted between March and July 2025 with 524 food pantry guests at 17 food pantries across Connecticut.
The pantries were selected using a stratified random sampling approach based on factors including pantry size and location, helping ensure that pantry guests from communities across the state were represented. The survey was offered in English and Spanish.
The survey found that food pantry guests are navigating significant financial pressures. Seventy-six (76%) of food pantry guests reported having to choose between buying food and paying for another important expense such as housing, utilities, transportation, medical care, etc., in the last year. The top three spending tradeoffs included paying for housing (33%), utilities (32%), and transportation (27%) instead of paying for food.
Researchers also found that 82% of food pantry guests said that at least a quarter of their household groceries came from a food assistance program in the last three months. Sixty-five (65%) of food pantry guests said they go to the food pantry at least a few times a month and 26% of food pantry guests said they have been visiting a food pantry for 6 months or less. The study also found that 43% of food pantry guests said that at least half of their household groceries came from a food assistance program in the last three months.
In terms of who Connecticut Foodshare serves at pantries, 55% of households surveyed have children in the home, 38% of food pantry guests were seniors (age 60+), 34% of food pantry guests are working, 22% are retired, and 13% report they are disabled and unable to work. Twenty-one (21%) of food pantry guests said English is not their primary language.
This report comes as more than 560,000 neighbors in Connecticut are facing food insecurity, including one in five children. Findings from the survey will help inform Connecticut Foodshare's efforts to address barriers to food access and improve the experience of neighbors at food pantries.
“This data further demonstrates that there is significant need among our neighbors across Connecticut as the cost of living rises," said Jason Jakubowski, President and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare. "Food pantry guests are relying on food assistance to provide a meaningful portion of their household groceries, and many are having to make difficult choices between putting food on the table and paying for other basic necessities. As the need continues, it is more important than ever that we listen to our neighbors, understand the challenges they are facing and work together to ensure everyone has access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.”
“This report represents one deliverable from an amazing research partnership between UConn and Connecticut Foodshare focused on putting data about food pantry guests’ experiences with food and nutrition security plus culturally preferred foods to action,” said Dr. Kristen Cooksey Stowers, principal investigator of UConn’s Health Equity Lab for the People. “Our findings from this ethically, linguistically, and geographically diverse sample of pantry guests from 17 randomly selected sites point to important disparities in nutrition security and housing security by age, race, and educational attainment. Regarding areas of opportunity to promote food justice and health equity in Connecticut, these findings warrant muti-sector partnerships like ours to develop tailored approaches to serve pantry guests with housing instability, limited vehicle access, and those born outside of the United States.”
ABOUT CONNECTICUT FOODSHARE:
Connecticut Foodshare is the food bank serving the people of Connecticut and a partner food bank of Feeding America’s nationwide network. In Connecticut, more than 560,000 or 1 in 7 people are food insecure. That includes more than 137,000 or 1 in 5 children. Connecticut Foodshare distributes food to 450+ agency partners (food pantries, community kitchens, shelters) and more than 100 mobile food pantry locations. Visit ctfoodshare.org to learn more.
ABOUT THE UCONN HEALTH EQUITY LAB FOR THE PEOPLE:
The Health Equity Lab for the People (HELP) is directed by Dr. Kristen Cooksey Stowers, Assistant Professor in the UConn Department of Allied Health Sciences. HELP’s mission is to inform and evaluate Policy, Systems, and Environmental Strategies to advance food justice and health equity. Dr. Cooksey Stowers’ lab focuses on structural solutions that will improve food access, diet quality, food insecurity, and nutrition security. To advance this work, HELP leverages Community Based Participatory (CBPR), Citizen Science, and Mixed Methods approaches.
