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Vermont Foodbank Needs Assessment: An Investigation into the Needs of Community Partners in the Northwest Region of Vermont
Ball, William Thomas
Ball, William Thomas
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Abstract
Graduate students at the University of Vermont collaborated with the Vermont Foodbank between May and October 2019 to conduct a needs assessment of 20 selected community partners (CPs) in Northwestern Vermont. The purpose of the assessment was to identify firmographics, levels of community engagement, and interest in foodbank initiatives among partner organizations. Surveys were sent to 25 organizations, and 20 were received by the cutoff date of October 21, 2019, resulting in an 80% participation rate. The questionnaire consisted of 27 questions both qualitative and quantitative in nature, consisting of open-ended, multiple-answer, and multiple-choice questions. The survey revealed multiple actions the foodbank can take to better meet the needs of CPs and their constituents. Among them, a noticeable desire to implement a distribution center in Chittenden County, an interest in more fresh produce distribution, and the need to increase awareness of the VT Fresh program. Furthermore, there was a clear difference of perspectives between CPs depending on size, measured by enrollment of volunteers reported. It may be necessary for the foodbank to tailor their initiatives to better suit varying organizational capacity.
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Date
2020-05-01