Cutting Shame and Stigma: Embracing Empathy in Accessing Social Services
Key Takeaways
- Every day, over 34 million Americans grapple with the reality of not having enough to eat.
- Research and anecdotal evidence indicate that stigma and shame prevent many from accessing SNAP, our government’s most powerful anti-hunger program.
- Empathy is the antidote to shame. mRelief’s simple and dignified support aims to normalize the application process.
Shame is a Powerful Limitation
Every day in the United States, a staggering 34 million individuals, including 9 million children, confront food insecurity. While Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits offer relief, the complex application process often poses a barrier, while internalized shame and stigma can make it harder still.
As Brene Brown aptly aptly puts it, "Shame is an epidemic in our culture, affecting our personal and social identity." Project Bread, a Massachusetts-based food assistance organization, found that 38.6% of survey respondents worried they would be judged negatively for utilizing SNAP. Similarly, the Food Research and Action Coalition has heard from many SNAP users that the actions or attitudes of government enrollment staff or grocery store cashiers cause deep discomfort and embarrassment. SNAP beneficiaries also report painful comments from friends and family. Self-blame often follows, further complicating the issue. Older adults, particularly, conceal their reliance on federal nutrition assistance due to the stigma attached, likely contributing to the fact that only 42% of elderly adults who are eligible participate in SNAP. In the FRAC study, one individual shares, "Fear of public exposure held me back from seeking assistance. The thought of being judged cast a shadow over my self-perception."
Empathy as an Antidote for Shame
mRelief believes that asking for help with food should be no more embarrassing than asking for help with student loans, a mortgage, or even checking out books from the library. In fact, mRelief’s commitment to empathy and the inherent dignity of all humans is the primary reason I wanted to work here.
My early years were marked by food insecurity. I was only eight when I realized we didn't always have three meals daily. Sometimes, the grown-ups would skip their meals so the kids could have enough to eat, but it still wasn't enough. I remember one Christmas morning when other kids were excited about the delicious meals their families were making. But in my house, it was quiet, because we didn't have much to celebrate with. One of the neighborhood kids asked me what we were having for our special meal, and I felt so embarrassed that I couldn't even answer. I ran away, finding comfort under an orange tree, when two oranges fell down – that was my breakfast.
However, in the midst of this struggle, I discovered the power of empathy. Our neighbors stepped in. When families sat down to eat that evening, a knock was on our door. I opened it and saw a neighbor holding a big basket of food. It felt like there was enough to feed a whole team of soccer players! I had so many feelings – I was excited but also a little embarrassed and very thankful. What amazed me the most was the lack of judgment; they just wanted to help.
mRelief enacts that same spirit of empathy in everything we do. For example, we analyze every word and every question that goes into our eligibility screener and simplified applications, acutely aware of how language can either impose or empower.
We also emphasize empathy by reducing the time it takes to fill out applications. We know that the situation of poverty is already stressful enough. Our eligibility screener takes less than three minutes and removes the guesswork involved in figuring out whether a full application will likely be approved. In states where we offer simplified applications, we strive for the entire process to be completed in fewer than 13 minutes on average.
mRelief also reduces fear of shame and stigma by making the entire process available from the privacy of one’s home–even for those without broadband. We have optimized our SNAP eligibility process to be navigable on smartphones and via SMS.
mRelief has even built empathy into our chatbot. Through kind and clear prompts and reminders, mRelief’s chatbot provides users with an easier way to upload their documents by simply taking a picture on their phone and texting it to us. Additionally, it provides guided follow-up instructions after a user submits their application.
While we aim to give users a streamlined experience with our chatbot feature, we understand that there may be limitations to its use. Therefore, to meet all of our users' needs, we also have a client support department that provides empathetic human intervention. As one mRelief client shared, “It wasn’t scary. Sometimes, you get uncomfortable applying without that human connection.”
While empathy can be difficult to measure, mRelief does our best to quantify our success through the surveys we send to every user. Our net promoter score of 9.17 (out of 10) tells us that we are hitting the mark. We also receive feedback nearly every day from users who appreciate what we do and how we do it. " The caseworker helped me feel like I was a human being, not just a number. She was very helpful,” Another mRelief client shared. "My experience was great, without red tape and stressful questions. Thank you for helping me in my time of hardship." Or as one senior citizen from Texas simply put it, “I almost feel normal again.”
"Hello, I wanted to say that I very much appreciate your service. With your help, I got approved for SNAP. I am unemployed and in need, but probably would not have known how to apply and would have been too embarrassed. Thank you for your help. You made the process easy and non-judgmental."
— mRelief user in Chicago
Conclusion
Empathy is the pathway to eradicating shame and stigma from accessing social services. mRelief carefully chooses only the most relevant questions for screeners and applications, conscientiously builds kindness into our chatbot, and respectfully offers human one-on-one support when needed. Our values are literally encoded into what we do and how we do it, moving us each day toward our mission to transform social services for the inherent dignity of all.
If you want to support mRelief’s ongoing work to support food across the US, reach out and let’s chat. Or go ahead and donate using the button below. We’re growing, together!
