In June, Back Bay Mission’s food pantry adopted a client choice format, becoming the only food pantry in Mississippi to offer choice to its clients.
Client choice food pantries allow the people they serve to select their own food, much like a grocery store. At the Mission, clients will have a small grocery cart and be accompanied to the food pantry by volunteers from our mission trips groups or by new regular volunteer Gwen Beck. Food in the pantry is categorized. Clients are allowed to pick a certain amount of food – determined by family size – from each category.
According to emergency services caseworker Jill Cartledge, this format is especially important to clients with dietary restrictions, such as those with diabetes. These clients will no longer be presented with a one-size-fits-all package of food, some of which they cannot eat. Instead, they will be able to select foods that meet their needs.
Most importantly, choice will provide our clients with a sense of dignity and higher satisfaction with the foods they eat.
You can support the food pantry with a gift to the Mission.
