Second Harvest food bank’s primary activity is distributing food from the warehouse to help feed food insecure people through a network of 130+ Partner Agencies, including other nonprofits, social service groups, churches, soup kitchens and shelters. Partner Agencies serve as the “arms” for Second Harvest, receiving food bank provided food for their pantries, and distributing it to the community at no cost to clients.
How do Food Pantries Operate?
- New pantries are added based on the identified needs in an area and must be a nonprofit 501C3 with a letter of determination, as recognized by the IRS, or exempt as a church.
- Each food pantry partner has a person trained in food safety from a food safety-training course approved by Second Harvest of the Big Bend.
- Pantries distribute products consistent with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
- Each pantry sets their food distribution dates and hours of operation.
Benefits of Food Pantries:
- Offer a sustainable source of nutritious food for food insecure individuals and families.
- Free up finances that would otherwise be spent on groceries for clients to use for other essentials like rent, utilities, transportation and medication.
- Empower communities to combat hunger in their own backyards.
- Connect families with community services to alleviate other hardships.