Designing For Choice:
How to Set-Up a Client Choice Pantry
Offering client choice in your pantry is exactly as it sounds: A pantry that allows clients to
select food based on their own individual preferences, health needs and circumstances. The client
choice model allows clients to participate in selecting which foods they will take home. While
there are many ways to implement the client choice model, they all have one common idea:
promoting client dignity by allowing them to make their own food choices.
Why Client Choice?
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When clients are given the freedom to fill their own bags, they will likely only choose those items that
they know they can use, complementing what they already have at home.
This model will result in significantly less product being discarded and leave more food options on the
shelf for the next family.
With the client choice model, the food pantry can easily monitor which food items are popular and which
are not—simply by looking at what is left on the shelf. The program can base future purchase orders on
this information to better meet client needs.
Client Choice Models:
TABLE MODEL
• Food is organized by food group on tables. Clients walk
by each table and choose the foods based on the
guidelines for family size.
WALK THROUGH MODEL
• Food is organized on shelves by food group. Clients
walk through space and take foods off of shelves
according to family size.
SUPERMARKET MODEL
• Shelving is set up in a grocery store design with wide
aisles to allow for shopping carts. Clients ‘shop’ for
foods according to guidelines for family size.
WINDOW MODEL
• Clients can choose the type of foods they want by
pointing to the food on the shelf. Volunteers pack bags
according to the client preferences and family size.
INVENTORY LIST MODEL: In pantries with limited physical space, clients may be given a list of foods available and they
choose which items they want. Pantry volunteers then assemble the clients’ food bags based on the selections and family size.
For more information regarding Client Choice food pantries:
Contact your HPNAP contract manager
This workshop was brought to you by:
Food Bank For New York City and United Way of New York City