Food Banks Fight the Poverty Stigma

A Roman Catholic priest for more than 18 years, Paul Lostritto

leads as a parish priest in New York City and as co-director of the
St. Francis Breadline. Paul Lostritto has advocated for the
expansion of the Breadline to include a delivery service,
potentially with a name change to battle stigma associations.
For food pantries, food banks, and the people that work in them,
need is only one of the major issues to face. Many people need
help feeding themselves or their families but are ashamed to go to
a food bank. Fearing judgment from bystanders or even from
themselves, some food bank customers report feeling guilt that
they must accept handouts. In fact, statistics show that one out of
every four U.S. citizens eligible for food stamps never signs up for
the program.
The United States government has responded to this trend by
renaming the Food Stamp Program as the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) and marketing it as a nutrition
program. The government has also made efforts to reach out to
populations in need and to make the application process less

intimidating. Enrollment in aid programs has increased, while food

banks work to build connections in communities and encourage
people to take advantage of benefits.