The study states

A study of the West Side Campaign against researchers and Hunger of Cuny Urban Food Policy Institute and evaluate the viability and acceptance of the “digital choice” model at an urban food pantry in New York City.

For StudyPublished in now Nutrition education and behavior letterResearchers operated focus groups with 30 customers, surveyed 326 customers, and interviewed eight staff members about a program, which allows customers to pre-order one of the four food box options through text messages for pickups on community sites.

The results showed high customer satisfaction with the digital choice program (96% rated it positively), and the employees found it possible to apply it on the current scale. The most important feature for customers was the capacity to choose food types (81%rated extremely/very important), followed by quick pickups (77%) and simple procedures (75%).

During the success of many participants, technology access presented a barrier to some, with 40% of survey customers indicated challenges with technology.

The study’s senior writer associate professor Nevin Cohen says, “It is possible and acceptable to many people to include digital techniques for facilitating the customer’s choice and to partner with community sites, but not all, food pantry.” “Food panties can benefit from offering multiple service models to accommodate various preferences and needs.”

“Food panties have used technology to manage an array of tasks, such as communication, supply/inventory and staffing,” Ph.D. Student Yett NG, Research Fellow at Institute and first authors on study. “This study suggests that food pantry staff can include relatively originally in the process of customer ordering and other technology.”

“The food system becomes rapidly digital, with online grocery purchases and app-based services, the food access programs can also avail technology to increase customer experience,” the director and co-author of the institute of study is called Catherine Tomeno Fraser. “Digital tools such as pre-ordering can streamline access, improve choice, and make food aid more respectable and efficient for those who need it.”