Empowering families: how our program works

1. Invest

iCAN maximizes the value of every donation by purchasing grocery gift cards in bulk at a minimum 5% discount from the stores where our recipients shop most often. At the beginning of each year, our agency partners confirm the number of cards they require from each major grocery store chain based on the preferences of the food-insecure families they serve. Once a month, agency staff pick up their allotment of cards from iCAN and then immediately target our support to the food-insecure children and families in greatest need.

2. Collaborate

iCAN leverages the expertise of social service and community agencies because their frontline staff have the skills to assess the evolving challenges their clients face. This approach eliminates the need for food-insecure families to endure dehumanizing eligibility assessments or visit multiple agencies during times of crisis. Regular interactions with clients help staff establish the appropriate level of grocery gift card support they provide to food-insecure families in most urgent need. This method allows our partners to remain highly flexible and responsive to their clients’ changing financial and social hardships.

The severity and duration of food insecurity varies greatly among households struggling to meet their basic needs. About 25% of our recipients need to access grocery gift cards just one or two times per year to recover from unexpected financial shocks, such as a sudden job loss or significant rent increase. Another 25% of families require more regular or intense support while they work through complex and costly life events, such as serious health concerns, disabilities, or resettlement. The remaining 50% of our recipients access our program three to six times per year to help bridge income gaps caused by increased expenses related to major events such as the death of a family member or a divorce.

3. Support

iCAN purposefully designed a service model based on partnerships with agencies who already provide other critical supports to families facing challenges associated with low income and food insecurity. Receiving our grocery gift cards from agency staff enables families to gain fast access to healthy food without waiting for a referral to yet another program. This also frees up time and energy for agency staff to focus on providing much needed support to manage their other life challenges, such as affordable housing, employment, and health issues. Our current agency network targets our grocery gift card program through more than fifty unique programs and services. Through collaboration, we maximize limited resources and work towards a shared vision where all kids have an equal opportunity to thrive. 

4. Empower

Our research shows that our recipients feel empowered by the immediacy, dignity, and flexibility of our program. Distressed families need rapid access to our grocery gift cards so they can purchase food as soon as possible. They appreciate the ability to shop at local stores where they can choose foods that meet their unique cultural, religious, and health needs. Parents experience much less anxiety when they no longer need a referral to a food program that requires them to travel to a specific location within limited hours of operation. Families value the privacy that our approach offers because grocery store staff and other shoppers won’t know how they accessed grocery gift cards. Recipients also appreciate the flexibility to spend as much or as little of the cards at a time based on their changing circumstances and ability to transport groceries home.

5. Evaluate, learn, and grow

iCAN continually collects feedback from our agency partners and program recipients to ensure we achieve the greatest impact on food-insecure children and families. We work with agency staff to track the distribution of each grocery gift card every month to monitor any fluctuations in demand and any changes in demographic trends related to emerging social and economic developments. We gather anonymous feedback from recipients through brief surveys and work with our agency partners to recruit families willing to share their anonymous experiences and insights in one-on-one interviews. We also conduct a comprehensive program evaluation with agency staff each year and conduct interviews across our partnership network to identify current strengths and opportunities for improvement.