From Grocery Stores to Daycares: Analyzing the Desirability and Feasibility of a Proposed Intervention to Mitigate Child Hunger in North Philadelphia

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether a proposed program with the goal of mitigating child hunger in North Philadelphia would be desirable, or accepted by key stakeholders, and feasible, meaning financially viable to implement. The program being considered is grocery stores selling to daycares, at a discounted price, excess edible and redistributable produce to be distributed to the children enrolled in the daycare, providing them with fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables. To determine whether the proposed program is desirable, a qualitative analysis was completed on a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with representatives of relevant stakeholder groups in the community. A cost-benefit analysis of the proposed program, assessing two different versions of the initiative, was conducted in order to determine its feasibility. The results of the analyses show that the program is desirable, being viewed positively by a majority of the stakeholder groups interviewed. Similarly, the proposed program was determined to be feasible overall. However, both versions of the program are only feasible for large grocery retailers, with only one of the versions being financially feasible for small- to medium-sized grocers. These results indicate that the program may be considered further, however several logistical and promotional challenges would need to be addressed prior to its possible application.

Author dc:creator

• Volodarsky, Monica A

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Witold Henisz

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/49237

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.upenn.edu:20.500.14332/49237