Food Bank for Larimer County

Who are the people you serve with your mission?

Our programs exist to serve people who are food insecure, meaning they don't have reliable access to enough food for a healthy, active life. Based on Census data from 2019, an estimated 33,690 residents of Larimer County are considered food insecure, including 7,000 children. While there is no simple way to determine who is at risk for hunger, our food pantries generally follow the eligibility guideline established by the federal government for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which is a household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Most of our clients live far below that level. They include working families, veterans, students, retirees, single parents, the unemployed and underemployed. Hunger can affect anyone.

How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Suggestion box/email,

How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

What significant change resulted from feedback?

At the beginning of the pandemic, our food pantries converted to a drive-through service model with pre-packed food. Feedback from our clients let us know that they appreciated the safety of the drive-through but prefer choosing their own food. In October 2021, we re-opened our pantries for indoor, client-choice shopping, with an option to schedule curbside pickup. The new pantry experience has been designed around client feedback. For example, there's a private registration desk for first-time visitors, and new service counters are staffed by volunteers to address issues of fairness when there are limited quantities of popular items. We continue to collect feedback from clients, staff, and volunteers to refine the operation of our pantries and other programs.

With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

Our staff, Our board, Our funders,

How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

The Food Bank has been engaging our clients in surveys and focus groups for the past decade or more to better understand the need for food assistance and barriers to accessing it. We are in a constant process of tailoring our programs based on what they tell us. Our clients have real power over how our programs operate.

Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,

What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,