Food bank, food pantry are different

 By Nancy Proctor

 Food bank, food pantry. If you are like most people, you’ve probably heard these terms without quite understanding what they are. 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.

  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 two billion pounds of donated food and groceries every year which provide food assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people annually. These food products don’t come from just grocery stores and restaurants; they are also collected from farmers, processing plants, manufacturers, U.S. Ffish 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.

  In 2010, Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, in conjunction with 185 food banks and assisted by Mathematica Policy Research, conducted a survey to better understand hunger in America, the clients who receive emergency food assistance, the food banks and agencies that assist them, and the network’s accomplishments and challenges.

  In the last fiscal year, Food Bank of the Albemarle provided more than 3,598,490 pounds of food. That was a 12 percent increase from the prior fiscal year. The food was provided to 108 agencies in the 15 countries they serve. The food bank worked with man organizations and individuals to acquire the food and bring it to northeast North Carolina. For example, 16 percent was from other food banks, 5 percent was from Feeding America, 23 percent was provided through the N.C. Supplemental Assistance Program, 20 percent came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a whopping 36 percent was the result of regional donations. The donations, both food and financial, came from retail stores, farmers, food drives, special events, grants, appropriations and many, many individuals.

  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. Low income individuals and families can visit these pantries to receive bags of emergency groceries. (From www.commongood.org)