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Committee emphasizes consistent, nonjudgmental engagement at community food pantries
Summary
Committee members cited food pantry work—CalPRIDE and other local efforts—as an example of building trust: consistent presence, patience, nonjudgmental practices and staff with lived experience were singled out as essential to effective engagement.
Sharon Jones introduced "Meaningful Community Engagement" referencing a talk by Dr. Gaxiola and asked participants to share what meaningful engagement looks like in their communities. Alma Pina and Katalina Zambrano described food pantry work as trust-building when providers show up consistently and refrain from judging who seeks help.
Alma Pina gave the CalPRIDE food pantry as an example and urged staff to avoid excluding people based on identity, saying providers should avoid turning people away. Crystal Ramos summarized the committee's practical goal: "meet people where they are," emphasizing that staff with lived experience can build compassionate and trustworthy relationships.
Members recommended that county programs prioritize consistent presence, patience and nonjudgmental service models when designing outreach and food-distribution efforts, and to document how those practices affect trust over time.
