subject: Fight against Hunger and Waste [print this page] A food bank, or food bank, is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have excess food that they cannot sell. After sorting and inventory, a food bank distributes the food to 100 to 1,000 government or non-profit community agencies, including but not limited to food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, orphanages, and schools.
The primary objective of food banks is to combat hunger and famine faced by a population or community by providing them food and shelter using the money collected from the agriculture sector and unsold retail surplus. It is the surplus that the producers and distributors must get rid of one way or another. Ironically, there are even smugglers of food who collect free food and redistribute to the needy in close partnership with a local network of associations. Their main sources are the food industry, supermarkets, the European Union, the general public.
The food network associations are run mainly by volunteers with the cooperation of employees. As it is essential for them to fight against exclusion, they integrate health issues (diversity of food, nutritional balance for improved health of those admitted) and the social bonds (through exchange, listening and the coaching and / or collectively, an essential bridge to return to independence).
True to their values, they adapt their functioning to a changing environment to stay smugglers of hope and humanity.
Donor partners (producers, processors, distributors) working with the Food Bank channels officially make commitment each year to bring their supplies to ensure the functioning and development of the association. The Charter of food aid is guaranteeing that the broad partnerships between Food Banks in collaboration with those who supply, finance, help technically or administratively (local authorities, associations) is in their best interest.
