Regional Food Bank

Can the hungry get food at the Regional Food Bank?

Not directly. The food collected and warehoused at the Regional Food Bank is distributed to qualified 501(c)(3) charities that feed the hungry throughout northeastern New York - organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters. These charities, called member agencies, receive the food from the Regional Food Bank and give it to those in need.

What is the difference between a food bank, food pantry, and soup kitchen?

A food bank solicits, stores and distributes large donations of food, donations that a single food pantry could not accept because of a lack of storage capacity at their facility. Food banks feed the needs of hungry people by distributing the donations they receive to a large number of member agencies, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, meal programs, drug treatment centers, and senior care centers.

A food pantry provides three to five-day food packages to families that have a place to live, but not enough food. These packages are designed to provide nutritionally balanced meals.

Soup kitchens serve walk-ins in need of a hot meal, the only meal of the day for many of them. Most soup kitchens serve a full, balanced meal, and some prepare and deliver meals to the homebound, as well.

What type of food is donated to the Food Bank?

Most food donations come from the food industry. There are many reasons why products are donated. They may be mislabeled, overproduced, test -market items and products with short code dates.

The Food Bank also "salvages" products. The dented cans and crumpled boxes that are pushed aside at the grocery store can be cleaned and sorted by volunteers to provide food pantries and soup kitchens with a variety of food and household products. USDA government foods are also donated by the federal government and made available to agencies. We sometimes have to purchase food with donated dollars as well.

Does the Regional Food Bank purchase food?

The Food Bank operates a cooperative buying program for its member agencies, where we purchase needed items in large quantities and then resell the food to the member agencies. Our Coop Program helps supplement our donated food inventory, enabling the Food Bank to meet most of the food needs of its member agencies. Monetary donations to the Regional Food Bank are not used to purchase food, but to underwrite the costs of transporting, storing, and distributing donated food, which is why every dollar donated lets the Regional Food Bank distribute $10-$12 worth of food!

Does the food bank sell food?

The Regional Food Bank does not, and in fact cannot, sell the donated food it receives. Moreover, the local food pantries and soup kitchens cannot charge the hungry people they serve for this food. The Food Bank does ask the agencies that receive food to cooperate in the support of the Food Bank by contributing a shared maintenance fee of $0.16 per pound for most of the food they receive. Some food, such as produce, is provided to all agencies free of charge.

Where does the food go?

The Regional Food Bank supplies food to such nonprofit organizations as food pantries, senior centers, shelters, after-school programs, soup kitchens, low-income day care centers, and others. These programs turn our food into nutritious, balanced meals for thousands of men, women, and children who otherwise would not get enough to eat. The Food Bank serves more than 1,000 member agencies.

How does the food get to these agencies?

The Regional Food Bank delivers up to 40% of its food to its member agencies. We have trucks that go up to Franklin and Clinton counties in the North Country, east to the borders of Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut, west to Delaware and Otsego counties, and south to Orange and Rockland counties. Local agencies also make scheduled visits to our warehouse to pick up allotments of food.

Tell me more about these member agencies...

To be members of the Food Bank, agencies must be not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organizations serving the ill, needy, or infants. They must serve free meals or provide free food packages to the needy, and have proper facilities for storage, cooking, and food handling. The Food Bank monitors these agencies on a regular basis to assure they handle food in a safe, sanitary manner. Emergency feeding programs (food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters) which are members of the Food Bank provide monthly statistics on the number of people they serve.

Tell me more about your operations...

The Regional Food Bank is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. A volunteer Board of Directors governs the organization. The Regional Food Bank employs a dedicated staff and involves thousands of volunteers in its work to feed hungry people. We have a satellite warehouse operation in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, called Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, which serves agencies in six counties of the lower Hudson Valley area. We are not a government agency, and in fact, do not receive government money for our day-to-day operations, although we do administer certain government food programs.

What other programs do you have?

The Food Bank operates several programs which provide food for member agencies:

Extra Helpings Program
Moveable Feast
Farm

Produce for the People - Acquires large quantities of fresh produce from wholesalers, retailers, and farmers and provides this nutritious food quickly and efficiently to member agencies.

Salvage Program - Volunteers sort and repackage dented cans, crushed boxes, and other cosmetically damaged food and grocery products according to guidelines established by the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets. This program provides a wide variety of highly desirable food items for agencies, many of which are not available from any other source.
Repack Program - Volunteers repack food from large, bulk containers (e.g., pasta, cereal, or frozen vegetables in 1,000-lb. totes) into packages that are easier to use and store.
Co-op Buying Program - Staple items not usually donated are purchased at wholesale prices and re-sold to member agencies, resulting in cost savings and time savings for these agencies.
USDA Commodities - The Food Bank contracts with New York State to provide federal government commodities to member agencies. These foods are provided to the Food Bank by The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) of USDA.
Hunger Prevention & Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) - New York State program administered by the Food Bank in its service region. HPNAP provides funds for the Food Bank to supply food and operating support to participating emergency feeding programs.
Training Programs - The Food Bank offers free seminars on nutrition, food safety, menu planning, and other topics for member agencies, and provides helpful tips and advice through its monthly publication, the Members Guide.
Kids Cafes - Soup kitchens and enrichment programs designed specifically for disadvantaged youth.

Where is the Food Bank?

The Regional Food Bank is located in Latham, New York. Our address is 965 Albany-Shaker Road, Latham, New York 12110. Our phone number is (518) 786-3691, and our fax number is (518) 786-3004.

Can we come and see how food banking works?

Yes! We encourage you to come! Seeing how the food is handled will give you a much better idea of how your donations are being used. Just give us a call to set up a tour, and see for yourself how food banking is helping to feed the hungry in your community!