Participant Observation Program (POP) recruits volunteers from different cultural backgrounds and demographics to observe food distributions and capture the experiences of recipients accessing services throughout the Oregon Food Bank Network. 

The program serves as a tool to:

• investigate claims of improper treatment or unsafe practice
• provides a mechanism to investigate activities negatively impacting those accessing services. 

POP Shopper Training serves as a tool to educate participants in vital programmatic rights with the hopes of teaching community members the mechanisms of accountability that exist for them. The findings from POP shoppers will further help construct civil rights and client experience training within the network, and result in overall improved client centered services. 

Recognizing that some vulnerable communities, such as immigrants, refugees, undocumented residents, and the LGBTQIA+ community disproportionately experience barriers to service, the project seeks to:

• educate volunteers on civil rights,
• teach people how to identify the different types of discrimination,
•  how to file complaints, and 
• empower community members to share their experiences utilizing services.