A Food Bank is an organization that collects product from the food industry and food drives,
inventories and stores it, and distributes it to agencies – such as food pantries,
soup kitchens and shelters – that provide food directly to individuals in need. A
food bank has the capacity to distribute millions of pounds of grocery product every
year. Food banks make it easy for agencies to obtain nutritious food at low cost in
the quantities they need for their clients.
A Food Pantry is an individual site that distributes bags or boxes of food directly to those in
need who reside in a specified area. A food pantry is a member agency of, and obtains
food from, a food bank. Both food pantries and food banks share the same commitment:
to provide food to those in need.