As you know, we now have a Full Choice model at the Food Pantry, where our clients can choose items that best fulfill the needs of their household. We buy food in bulk from the Westchester Food Bank, but not all the items we’d like to offer are always available.

With the full choice model we have learned that our clients are much more likely to choose canned or dried beans than other high-protein foods such as peanut butter. One of the advantages of the full choice model is gaining this sort of insight into the best way to provide a “balanced selection” for our clients.

When the Deacons suggest an “item of the month,” it’s not just some suggestion from a rotating calendar, it’s actually something that has not been available from the Food Bank.

Noting the item of the month and bringing in some supplies can help the pantry offer as wide a variety of foods as possible. Just place the items in the basket in the Gathering Space.