Food Bank, food pantry, soup kitchen, Kid’s Cafe and America’s Second Harvest; if you are like most people, you’ve probably heard these terms without quite understanding what they were. Many people do use these words interchangeably to refer to any place that distributes food to the poor. But in most communities, these are different organizations with very different jobs.
You may have heard of America’s Second Harvest and assumed it was a special type of food bank operation. America’s Second Harvest is actually the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the United States and is a network of more than 200 member food banks and food rescue organizations.
This network secures more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and groceries every year which provide food assistance to over 25 million low-income hungry people annually. These food products don’t come from just groceries and restaurants, they are also collected from farmers, processing plants, manufacturers, US Fish and Game, and corporations. This food is typically stored in a food bank until it can be distributed.
A food bank is a huge warehouse repository that accepts all types of grocery products for redistribution. In addition to food, they often accept other types of non-food items as well. Perishables are checked for quality, stored in refrigerated rooms and quickly distributed before they reach their expiration date. Meats are put into deep freeze, and canned goods and dry staples are stored and shelved. Food Banks generally don’t distribute directly to the poor, but distribute this food and non-food items to agencies or special programs that do.
A food pantry is one type of direct distribution agency that distributes food to the poor. Pantries are typically staffed by volunteers and sponsored by local faith communities. These volunteers may receive food through private donations, the USDA commodities programs, or through a Food Bank network. Some pantries are in church basements, while others may be nothing more than a closet in a daycare facility. Low income individuals and families can visit these pantries to receive a box or two of emergency groceries.
A pantry is only of one many places where a low income individual may receive emergency food assistance. Soup Kitchens are another type of facility that prepares and distributes hot meals on site, somewhat like a cafeteria. Soup kitchens are wonderful resources for nutritious meals for people who might not have the facilities to prepare meals for themselves. Soup kitchens receive their food from Food Banks, through private donations, and sometimes local restaurants.
Kids Cafe is a fairly recent program that was launched by an America’s Second Harvest member food bank in Georgia. Kid’s Cafe provide free meals and snacks to low income children in settings where kids might usually expect to hang out, such as rec centers, schools, and parks. These program was developed in response to the need of feeding children who found themselves going hungry after school and the weekends. There are over 1600 Kid Cafes in operation and are funded through private donation as well as receiving food from America Second Harvest member food banks.
Food pantries, soup kitchens, and Kid’s Cafes are just a few of the direct distribution facilities that distribute food to low income individuals. While many of these facilities do receive some food and donations from other resources, they also rely on organizations like Food Banks to provide them with a steady supply of fresh produce, dairy products, meats, and breads, along with a wide range of canned goods.
Feeding the poor in America is a huge undertaking, and takes all these organizations working together to make it happen. For more information how you can help reduce hunger in America, visit the web site of America’s Second Harvest at www.secondharvest.org.
