Report: Experiences of Neighbors Who Access Food Pantries
Key Data Points that Further Demonstrate Growing Need in Connecticut:
- 65% of food pantry guests said they go to the food pantry at least a few times a month
- 26% of food pantry guests said they have been visiting a food pantry for 6 months or less
- 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
- 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
- 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
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 disable and unable to work
- 21% of food pantry guests said English is not their primary language
