Gratitude, resignation and the desire for dignity: lived experience of food charity recipients and their recommendations for improvement, Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

ObjectiveThe present study explored recipients’ perceptions of food charity and their suggested improvements in inner-city Perth, Western Australia.DesignIn-depth interviews were conducted with charitable food service (CFS) recipients. Transcripts were thematically analysed using a phenomenological approach.SettingInterviews were conducted at two CFS in inner-city Perth.SubjectsFourteen adults.ResultsThe recipients’ journeys to a reliance on CFS were varied and multifactorial, with poverty, medical issues and homelessness common. The length of time recipients had relied on food charity ranged from 8 months to over 40 years. Most were ‘grateful yet resigned’, appreciative of any food and resigned to the poor quality, monotony and their unmet individual preferences. They wanted healthier food, more variety and better quality. Accessing services was described as a ‘full-time job’ fraught with unreliable information and transport difficulties. They called for improved information and assistance with transport. ‘Eroded dignity’ resulted from being fed without any choice and queuing for food in public places, often in a volatile environment. ‘Food memories and inclusion’ reflected a desire for commensality. Recipients suggested services offer choice and promote independence, focusing on their needs both physical and social.ConclusionsAlthough grateful, long-term CFS recipients described what constitutes a voluntary failure. Their service improvement recommendations can help meet their nutritional and social needs. A successful CFS provides a food service that prioritises nutritious, good-quality food and individual need, while promoting dignity and social inclusion, challenging in the current Australian context.

‘Sustainable’ Rather Than ‘Subsistence’ Food Assistance Solutions to Food Insecurity: South Australian Recipients’ Perspectives on Traditional and Social Enterprise Models

“…Recipients were frustrated with the lack of choice in the current system and desired the dignity of being able to choose their own food, recommending models that were considered empowering and less stigmatising, such as supermarket gift cards. These finding were consistent with those of recipients in Perth, Western Australia [ 27 ].…”

“…In addition to negative experiences due to limited food choice and poor food quality, recipients report feelings of shame, and describe the stigma and embarrassment associated with using food banks [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. In Australia similar results are reported particularly concerning gratitude and shame: dissatisfaction with the variety, quality and types of food offered [ 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Charitable Food Systems’ Capacity to Address Food Insecurity: An Australian Capital City Audit

“…Although there are acknowledged benefits of reciprocity, there are also challenges relating to the health, financial resources and the preferred contribution of the workforce [ 47 , 48 ]. Complying with Australian standards for volunteering (matching roles to skills, supporting and developing the workforce, protecting their safety and wellbeing, recognizing contribution and continuously improving) [ 24 ] is difficult.…”

“…Although short-term need is assumed in Australia [ 22 ], there is evidence of long-term reliance on the CFS [ 23 , 24 ]. The Australian response to food insecurity has been described as ad hoc with numerous small voluntary organisations providing food assistance [ 25 ].…”

“…Salamon’s four types of voluntary failure include (i) philanthropic insufficiency, the “inability to generate resources on a scale that is both adequate enough and reliable enough to cope with the human-service problems” [ 28 ] (p. 39); (ii) philanthropic particularism, which occurs when “some subgroups of the community may not be adequately represented in the structure of voluntary organizations” [ 28 ] (p. 40) where the focus is on treating “the more ‘deserving’ of the poor” leaving serious service gaps or duplicating services and wasting resources; (iii) philanthropic paternalism, which refers to the notion that “those with the greatest resources have influence over the definition of community need” [ 28 ] (p. 41); and (iv) philanthropic amateurism, described as “amateur approaches to coping with human problems” [ 28 ] (p. 42). A current assessment of CFS in Perth shows evidence of one type of voluntary failure, namely philanthropic insufficiency [ 24 ].…”