Food Sourcing & Industry Partnerships

• Retail Donors
• Food Manufacturers
• State and Federal government sources
• Farmers and growers
• Collaboration with other food banks
• Food drives

Have questions about food sourcing? Interested in partnering with the Food Bank? Contact our Food Procurement team!

Retail Donation Program

Thanks to partnerships with most local grocery stores the Food Bank and our partner agencies can pick up and distribute millions of pounds of food each year that would have otherwise been unnecessarily discarded. 

The donations from our retail partners consist of high quality, protein rich items such as meats, produce, deli foods, and baked goods. 

Farmers and Growers

Partnerships with local, North Carolina Farmers and growers allows the Food Bank to provide our partner agencies with fresh produce and proteins including fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and eggs.

Each partnership is unique, and the Food Bank works to make the donation process as easy as possible for our agriculture partners.  

In some cases, the Food Bank receives the excess of harvest – perhaps a farmer has grown more than they can sell – and we can ensure it reaches people in need. Other times we may receive products that don’t meet the aesthetic required for retail sale or have been gleaned from a field following the original harvest.

Food Manufacturers

The Food Bank is fortunate to be located in an area of the state with many food manufacturing partners who are dedicated to this community. 

The donations from our industry partners range from canned and jarred fruits and vegetables, to fresh dairy and protein, to dry goods and beverage options.

The Food Bank works every day to provide nutritious food to people struggling with hunger. After food arrives at our distribution centers and is sorted by our staff and volunteers, it is then distributed to our network of nonprofit partner agencies —organizations that include food pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites, and delivery programs.

Our partner agencies are on the frontlines everyday serving people in need and working to end hunger. They form a diverse, dynamic, and passionate network committed to ending hunger at its root causes. And they rely on the Food Bank for consistent access to food, all year round. 

Methods of Distribution

Food gets to the Food Bank’s partner agencies and into the community in multiple ways: 

• Some agencies come directly to our branches to pick up needed items. These agencies make appointments and are scheduled on a regular basis.
• Other agencies place orders with the Food Bank, and the food is then delivered to them, free of charge, on a regular basis.  

We also work with local farmers to facilitate donations of nutritious produce directly to agencies, supporting and empowering our local communities and food systems. This is a way to support and empower our local communities and food systems by coordinating donations between donors and local agencies.

Occasionally, the Food Bank will work with local agencies to provide direct distributions in communities where there is great or urgent need, for example, after a hurricane or disaster.