The little I receive is not enough: A qualitative study of food insecurity in the South Bronx
- Title
- The little I receive is not enough: A qualitative study of food insecurity in the South Bronx
- Creator
- Azhar S.; Ross A.M.; Acharya A.; Lerner R.; Tripathi S.; Keller E.; Weed J.; Acevedo G.
- Description
- The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of food insecurity amongst Bronx residents. Applying a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted a qualitative study, entailing 38 interviews with food pantry recipients, 4 key informant interviews with social service administrators, and two focus groups with 12 food pantry staff and social service providers in New York City (NYC). Applying a precarity framework, we identified three themes: (1) unaffordability of living expenses in NYC; (2) financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) institutional and technological barriers to food access. We identified the following subthemes under theme one: rising food costs and high cost of living. Under theme two, we identified four subthemes: (a) large household size driving poverty for Bronx families; (b) vulnerabilities to food insecurity among older adults; (c) budgeting for reduced incomes during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (d) managing unstable employment. Under the third theme, we identified three subthemes: (a) lack of access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods; (b) need for wider service availability; (c) and not having smartphones for telehealth. Study findings demonstrate how precarity impacts the lived experiences of food insecurity and financial hardship for residents of the South Bronx during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2024 Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS).
- Source
- Food, Culture and Society
- Date
- 2024-01-01
- Publisher
- Taylor and Francis Ltd.
- Subject
- Bronx; COVID-19; food insecurity; Food pantry; New York City; precarity; social service utilization
- Coverage
- Azhar S., Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, United States; Ross A.M., School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, United States; Acharya A., Department of Economics, Christ University, Bangalore, India; Lerner R., Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, United States; Tripathi S., Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, United States; Keller E., Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham University, United States; Weed J., Bronx Works, New York, NY, United States; Acevedo G., Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, United States
- Rights
- Restricted Access
- Relation
- ISSN: 15528014
- Format
- Online
- Language
- English
- Type
- Article
Collection
Citation
Azhar S.; Ross A.M.; Acharya A.; Lerner R.; Tripathi S.; Keller E.; Weed J.; Acevedo G., “The little I receive is not enough: A qualitative study of food insecurity in the South Bronx,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed February 24, 2025, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/13468.