food bank

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a non-profit organisation that collects, stores, and distributes donated or purchased food to a network of partner agencies — including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and schools — which in turn distribute the food directly to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity; food banks operate as wholesale distributors within the charitable food system, accepting large donations from food manufacturers, retailers, farms, and government surplus programmes and sorting, storing, and redistributing them to frontline agencies; in the United States, Feeding America is the largest food bank network, comprising over two hundred regional food banks serving every county; food banks have grown significantly since the 1980s and experienced dramatic demand surges during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, raising questions about whether charitable food distribution is an adequate substitute for structural policy interventions addressing poverty and food insecurity