How a Food Bank Works
Harvesters is a food bank. A food bank is a place that collects, packages, stores, and distributes food to a network of more than 900 partner agencies. These partners include food pantries, community kitchens, and shelters who provide groceries or meals to families, children and seniors in need.
Let’s take a look at how a food bank works.
![Harvesters Barrel in Store](http://www.harvesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Barrel-In-Store.jpg)
It all starts with donated food that is collected in our barrels at grocery stores or other businesses, from community food drives or from food-industry partners and farmers.
![Lots of Harvesters Barrels in Warehouse](http://www.harvesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Barrels-in-Warehouse.jpg)
We work hard to bring in as many donations as we can, so that we can help as many people as possible.
![Volunteer Sorting Food](http://www.harvesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Volunteer-Sorting-Food.jpg)
The food comes to our warehouses, where volunteers sort and repackage the food into smaller portions or package similar items together for easy online ordering by our network partners.
![Food in Warehouse Shelves](http://www.harvesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Warehouse-KC.jpg)
We store the food until it is needed. Nonperishable and household items are stored on large shelves throughout our warehouse and perishable items are stored in our giant cooler and freezer.
![Loading Pallet of Food on Truck](http://www.harvesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Loading-Food-1.jpg)
Next, the food is loaded up in our trucks and delivered to our network of agencies. Some agencies come to Harvesters to pick up their orders.
![Agency Volunteer Distributing Food](http://www.harvesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Distributing-Food.jpg)
Our agencies complete the final, but most important, step in the process. They distribute the food directly to families, children and seniors.