Hamdon, Carly
2025-08-18
Link to Wiley Online Library
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cars.70011The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant shift in the landscape of social assistance in Canada, as emergency support became more widely accessible. Faced with the prospect of rapidly distributing aid during an international crisis, this study draws on interviews with 19 volunteers from an emergency food program in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to explore how they determined which free food distribution strategies were appropriate. Findings show that decisions were shaped by cultural assumptions about deservingness and moral worth.