Bobby Seale’s work on the (Black Panther Party) BPP’s massive food giveaways increased support for its survival programs among those who had doubts about the organization's goals and intentions. The survival programs had been fundamental in helping poor people ask the question how does the party find a way to feed them with meager resources, yet elected representatives did so little to feed them despite having more resources to do so? He expanded similar food giveaways successfully at chapters across the country. Seal’s work on the survival program also made COINTELPRO’s leadership rethink their strategy for repressing the BPP after it had improved its public support with the free food programs. The BPP’s investment in meeting people’s essential needs with its various survival programs strengthened its support and morale for an already short staffed and under resourced organization.