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.
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.
We work hard to bring in as many donations as we can, so that we can help as many people as possible.
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.
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.
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.
Our agencies complete the final, but most important, step in the process. They distribute the food directly to families, children and seniors.