Editorís note: Clients from Helping Hands Pantry in Falcon voluntarily completed a survey by NFH reporter Kathy Hare as part of her article ìPoverty on the eastern plains.î The clients were asked the following questions.1. How long have you lived in the area?Under 5 years: 145 – 10 years: 170ver 10 years: 18The shortest period any recipient lived in the area is six months, while a number of people have lived in Colorado their entire life.2. Do you have relatives living in the area?Yes: 39No: 103. What is the last year of school you completed?Below high school: 12Graduated high school: 24Some college: 9Bachelorís degree or above: 4More than 75 percent of those needing financial assistance had at least a high school education; and only one recipient never attended high school.4. Do you need help because of a medical condition?Yes: 14No: 35Medical conditions, which were the result of an accident included severe spinal cord injuries, broken backs and leg injuries. Medical illnesses reported included diabetes, seizures, autism, strokes, hearing loss and glaucoma.5. What is your favorite book or magazine?Listed No.Magazine titles: 21Book genres: 8Book titles: 7The Bible: 6No response: 76. Do you know how to operate a computer?Yes: 31No: 18Six of the 18 people who do not know how to operate a computer never finished high school, while one completed junior college.7. What type of work have you done in the past?Construction-related jobs: 13Certified nursing assistant/medical: 7Office work: 5Waitress/short order cook: 4Real Estate sales: 2None: 3More than 14 occupations were listed by the clients, not all of which are represented in the above table. Given the downturn in the housing market, perhaps it’s not surprising that construction-related occupations out-ranked all other previous work experience. Two surprising results of the survey: Only one woman listed her sole work experience as “housewife,” and only one person listed “farmer” as a previous occupation. No one listed a technical occupation, such as engineer or computer programmer, as their previous work experience.8. Are you currently employed?Yes: 8No: 419. Do you see your financial need as a temporary situation?Yes: 36No: 1310. What goals do you have for yourself and your family?Goals: 42No goals: 7While more than 40 people listed goals, 20 responses were vague and hard to quantify. The responses including goals like “keeping my head above water,” “to survive,” “just being happy and well.” Six people gave faith-based responses, such as “serving the Lord.” Four people said their goal was to build a house. Four listed overcoming medical problems as their goal, three had plans to start a home-based business, two listed getting an education as their major goal, and one said their goal was to patent a product.11. Recipients were asked to rank their most essential need.Food: 22Clothing: 1Shelter: 2Furniture: 1Job: 6Job training: 2Car: 2Help with medical bills: 6Help with utility bills: 3 Obviously, the most essential need identified is food. Three people had an equal need for food, clothing, and help with utility bills. One person did not complete this portion of the survey.Clients were also asked to list what type of foods people should donate to the pantry. Many said they were pleased with the food donations they already receive. The largest requests were for more fresh fruits, vegetables and meat.
