>> Andrew: YOU'RE AT A FOOD BANK. YOU'RE LINING UP AND YOU'RE TIRED. >> I'M IN THE LINE RIGHT NOW. I'M A LITTLE EARLY, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T COME EARLY, YOU ARE HERE FOR WAY LONGER THAN NECESSARY. >> Andrew: YOU GET HANDED A BOX. YOU OPEN IT UP BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO FEED YOUR FAMILY WITH WHATEVER IS INSIDE, BUT YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE WHAT'S INSIDE. AND MAYBE THAT AT THE BOTTOM, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT TASTES LIKE. NEVER MIND HOW TO PREPARE ONE FOR A MEAL. >> I HAD NEVER WORKED WITH THESE BEFORE, BUT I'M GOING TO LEARN. I'M GOING TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. >> Andrew: THAT'S ONE TYPE OF FOOD BANK. BUT HERE'S ANOTHER. CONNALLY, IT'S AS CLOSE TO A SUPERMARKET AS YOU'LL GET -- CONCEPTUALLY. IT'S OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK.5 >> Andrew: BUT THERE'S SOME PROBLEMS WITH THAT. ONE, I MIGHT ALREADY FEEL HELPLESS, HAVING TO RELY ON A FOOD BANK IN THE FIRST PLACE. DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO EAT ON TOP OF IT. >> ALL EXPIRED 2 1/2 MONTHS AGO. >> Andrew: AND A SECOND PROBLEM STEMS FROM THIS. IF I RECEIVE SOMETHING I DON'T WANT, I MIGHT NOT USE IT. >> SOMETIMES IN OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE THEM GREAT PRODUCT AND WELL-ROUND PRODUCTS, WE GIVE FOLKS SOMETHING THEY DON'T WANT TO USE. >> Andrew: WHEN IT COMES TO WASTE, IF I RUN A FOOD BANK, LET'S SAY, HOW EVEN KNOW WHAT'S BEING USED AND WHAT'S BEING THROWN OUT? MY CLIENTS MIGHT TELL ME I DON'T LIKE SOMETHING. ANDREW, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS GET SO MANY OF THOSE? BUT BEYOND THAT, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M WATCHING PEOPLE AT HOME TO SEE WHAT GETS USED AND WHAT GETS WASTED. PLUS, I'M BUSY. I CAN BARELY FIND ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO KEEP MY DOORS OPEN BECAUSE THE VOLUNTEER WORK ITSELF CAN BE PRETTY TEDIOUS. TWO MAIN VOL UNTEAR JOBS ARE THE LIFELINE OF A FOOD BANK -- VOLUNTEER. YOU'RE EITHER THE BOX DISTRIBUTOR OR THE BOX PREPARER. PERSON A SPENDS HOURS MANUALLY FILLING HUNDREDS OF IDENTICAL BOXES WITH THE SAME FOODS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHILE PERSON B HANDLES THE CLIENT SIDE OF THINGS. MATCHING BOXES TO NAMES ON A LIST AND GIVING THEM OUT. THE POINT IS, WITH ALL THE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE, THESE ROLES AREN'T ALWAYS FILLED. >> CHALLENGING FOR THE VOLUNTEERS WITH SUPPLY AND DEMAND, AT THE SAME TIME, TRYING TO PUT SOME QUALITY CONTROL ON. >> Andrew: SO LET'S DISCUSS A DIFFERENT WAY. SO THOSE RENDERS OF WHAT A DIFFERENT KIND OF FOOD BANK WHAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE THAT I SHOWED YOU AT THE START. THOSE AREN'T JUST CONCEPT DRAWINGS. IT'S A REAL SPACE SET TO OPEN VERY SOON IN SASKATCHEWAN. >> WE'RE EXCITED A LITTLE BIT, BUT NERVOUS. WITH ANYTHING TRYING TO DO SOMETHING NEW AND THERE'S A BIG CHANGE. THERE'S LOTS OF PLANNING AND LOTS OF COORDINATION GOES INTO IT. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ANY IMPACT WE COULD MAKE. >> Andrew: THE REGINA FOOD BANK BOUGHT THE BUILDING. IT'S GOING TO BE A NATIONAL FIRST ON THE SCALE FUNCTIONING VERY MUCH LIKE A GROCERY STORE. >> YOU CAN PICK GROUND BEEF OR CHICKEN. YOU CAN PICK CARROTS OR POTATOES. YOU CAN PICK LINT ILLS. -- LINT ILLS IF YOU STILL HAVE TO GIVE YOUR NUMBER OF -- FAMILY AND THERE'S AN ALLOTMENT OF HOW MANY THINGS TO TAKE. THEY SAY EVERY FAMILY LEAVES WITH ABOUT $200 IN GOODS TWICE A MONTH. NOW THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY ANY MORE OR ANY LESS THAN USUAL. IT'S DISTRIBUTED DIFFERENTLY. AND RE-CREATING THIS GROCERY STORE EXPERIENCE IS ABOUT GIVING AUTONOMY. IT'S ABOUT GIVING SOMEONE THE DIGNITY BEING ABLE TO CHOOSE THEIR OWN MEALS. AND THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF THAT, NOBODY IS FORCED IT TAKE SOMETHING THEY DON'T WANT OR NEED. >> THAT'S A REAL CHALLENGE FOR THEM BECAUSE IT CREATES A BURDEN OF WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO WITH IT. AND THE BURDEN OF, I'M TAKING UP THIS RESOURCE AND SOMEBODY ELSE CAN'T. SO WE WANT TO ELIMINATE THAT. >> Andrew: AND HERE'S THE BEST PART. WHEN I PUT ALL OF THOSE ON MY STORE SHELVES AND NOBODY TAKES THEM, I CAN IMMEDIATE I NEED TO STOP BUYING THEM. I CAN MEASURE WHAT'S POPULAR AND WHAT'S GETTING LEFT BEHIND. CLIENTS MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO TRY NEW FOODS THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN. THEY CAN MORE EASILY SHOP AROUND. ALLERGY CONCERNS OR DIETARY NEEDS, AND ALL THOSE VOLUNTEERS YOU HAVE WORKING THE BACK ROOM PACKING BOXES, NOW THEY ARE OUT FRONT HELPING CLIENTS WITH THEIR SHOPPING, HELPING WITH MEAL PLANNING, OR JUST HELPING. >> IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S QUITE APPEALING TO FOLKS. IT ALLOWS THEM TO REALLY DONATE THEIR TIME TO SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN SEE THE IMPACT OF. >> Andrew: SOUNDS GREAT, RIGHT? LET'S STAY CALM. IT'S NOT EASY DEVELOPING A SYSTEM LIKE THIS THAT ACTUALLY WORKS. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SEARCH MORE DYNAMIC. VOLUNTEER DEMANDS ARE DIFFERENT. THE BASIC EXECUTION OF WHAT A FOOD BANK DOES IS VERY DIFFERENT AND WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE WE SPOKE WITH SOMEONE, WHO HAS BEEN OPERATING THIS FOR ABOUT NINE YEARS NOW. >> MY NAME IS SARA WATSON. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT THIS FOOD BANK. >> Andrew: I REACHED OUT TO SARA BECAUSE I FOUND THIS ARTICLE FROM 2015 ABOUT HOW NORTH SHORE HARVEST FOOD BANK WAS INCREASINGLY GOING IN FAVOUR OF A CLIENT CHOICE MODEL. BEING IN CONTROL OF YOUR FOOD FEELS GREAT. >> WHAT WAS REALLY CLEAR TO US WAS THAT CHOICE WAS A KEY PIECE OF WHAT OUR PARTICIPANTS WERE LOOKING FOR. >> Andrew: THE CHALLENGE WAS THAT SWITCHING MODELS DIDN'T CHANGE HOW MUCH FOOD WAS AVAILABLE, SO THEY HAD TO FIGURE OUT A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR THEM. >> ALL THE FOOD WAS SET UP IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS. DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN A HOUSEHOLD, THEY COULD CHOOSE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ITEMS FROM THAT SECTION. THERE WILL BE A VEGETABLE SECTION. THEY WILL PICK VEGETABLES THAT BEST MEET THEIR FAMILIES' NEEDS. THERE WILL BE RICE AND THE. >> Andrew: SO THERE ARE THESE BUILT-IN LIMITS ON HOW PEOPLE CAN SHOP. THE TRICK WAS BEING ABLE TO GIVE CLIENTS MEANINGFUL CHOICES. SARA WAS REALLY DEFENSIBLE WHEN SHE SPOKE TO US. SHE SHOWED US HOW HARDER IT IS TO STOCK SHELVES, NEVER MIND MAINTAINING A RICH SELECTION FOR CLIENTS TO CHOOSE FROM. AND THE CHOICE MODEL IS SPACE. >> SO THE PROGRAMMES WE WERE DIRECTLY TO RUN HAD SHELVING, STORAGE, AND SELF-STORAGE. BUT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMMES WE PARTNER WITH, THEY DON'T HAVE PERMANENT SPACE. >> Andrew: BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY SHE SAID, LOOK, THE AMOUNT OF CHOICE YOU GIVE CAN FIT INTO WHATEVER SPACE YOU'VE GOT. AND ULTIMATELY, THIS WAS ABOUT MEETING THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE. STILL, I WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS MODEL WAS ACTUALLY CHANGING OUTCOMES, BECAUSE THE NUMBERS SEEM TO KEEP SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SYSTEMS USE. LIKE EVERY YEAR, FOOD BANKS CANADA COMPILED THIS REPORT, LOOKING AT FOOD BANK USAGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT JUST THE MONTH OF MARCH LAST YEAR, THEY REGISTERED NEARLY TWO MILLION VISITS. THAT WAS A 32% INCREASE FROM THE YEAR BEFORE. BLAME THE PANDEMIC. BLAME INFLATION. THE POINT IS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A CHOICE MODEL FOOD BANK, HOW DO YOU ISOLATE THE VARIABLES ENOUGH TO KNOW THE CHOICE MODEL IS THE BEST MODEL? THE CLOSEST THING I COULD FIND TO THAT WAS AN 18-MONTH STUDY PUBLISHED A FEW YEARS AGO, WHERE THEY LOOKED AT 11 FOOD BANKS IN OTTAWA, OF 4 OF WHICH THEY USE THE CHOICE MODEL. THEY INTERVIEWED HUNDREDS OF CLIENTS OVER 18 MONTHS, ASKING THEM A SERIES OF QUESTIONS TO GAUGE HOW FOOD INSECURE THEY FELT. THE RESULT, A SMALL DECREASE IN FEELINGS OF FOOD INSECURITY. ABOUT .5 LOWERS THAN SECURE ON A TEN-POINT SCALE ON AVERAGE. THAT'S SOMETHING. >> WE'RE ALL STRIVING CONTINUE TO CREASE THE LEVEL OF CHOICE TO FOLKS WE SERVE. WE JUST FEEL -- INCREASE -- TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS WILL BE THE LARGEST IN CANADA AND WE'LL RAMP UP FROM THERE. >> Andrew: SO IS THE CHOICE MODEL THE FUTURE OF FOOD BANKS? WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE THING WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IS WHETHER THIS IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO GET PEOPLE THE FOOD THEY NEED. YOU KNOW, WITH THE OLD SYSTEM, YOU JUST GAVE PEOPLE A BOX AND THEY GO. NOW, THEY ARE SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS. YOU'RE GIVING PEOPLE TIME TO SHOP. WILL FOOD BANKS BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE HIGH DEMAND? >> I SAID GOOD-BYE TO THANKING MY NEIGHBORHOOD ON SATURDAYS. THE LINE-UP WAS THREE BLOCKS LONG. IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES, NOBODY CAN AFFORD TO GO IN ONE AT A TIME AND WALK THEM AROUND THE ROOM, AND SAY CHOOSE THREE OVER THERE. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE OVER HERE? >> Andrew: TO DO THIS ON A LARGE SCALE, ALSO AS I MENTIONED, YOU NEED A LOT OF SPACE. THE REGINA FOOD BANK PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THEIR NEW OPERATIONS, BUT THE REWARD FOR GIVING CLIENTS MORE CHOICE, ACCORDING TO THOSE WHEN MADE THE SWITCH, IS INCALCULABLE. THE REGINA FOOD BANK IS SET TO OPEN ITS CHOICE-DRIVEN COMMUNITY HUB SOMETIME THIS SUMMER.
