Assessing changes of a Third Ward food pantry exiting the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study

The University of Houston Food Insecurity Team (FIT) has been a dedicated force in addressing the issue of food insecurity in the Third Ward. We have partnered with the Houston Food Bank to establish student-led pantries in the Third Ward and have been committed to addressing the ever-changing demands of those who face food insecurity. As we strive to be aware of the evolving burden of food insecurity, we began to question how food insecurity has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic. The FIT research team sought to address this question by investigating how our clientele demographics have changed at Riverside Methodist Church food pantry located in the Third Ward. We have conducted a retrospective analysis of demographic data that was collected from the early months of the pandemic and compared it to the demographic data collected earlier this year. Our research and findings have helped the program gain a deeper understanding of how the pandemic has impacted food insecurity in our community, and how our community compares to other regions of the country. By examining changes in our clientele demographics, we have identified new challenges and opportunities for our program. We recognized that the Third Ward has stagnated in the battle against food insecurity as a result of the pandemic, and we believe that this finding will help us adapt our program to develop new innovative approaches to combat food insecurity in the near future.