Food Bank

Food banking has a simple purpose – to prevent the waste of good usable food and non-food products, and to channel those products through organizations that serve hungry people.

God’s Pantry Food Bank acts as a clearinghouse for surplus, improperly weighed, cosmetically imperfect and about-to-expire food and non-food products from local, regional and national donors. These products are distributed to private, non-profit organizations with on-site feeding and emergency food box programs that serve the needy young, ill, elderly and handicapped.

Many low-income Kentuckians suffer from high rates of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Over the next three years we will distribute more than five million pounds of fruits and vegetables to our agencies as we partner with them to provide healthy, nutritious food choices to hungry Kentuckians.

Our more than 380 partners include soup kitchens, homeless shelters, abuse centers, senior programs, day care centers, and emergency food box programs. They are located in 49 counties of central and eastern Kentucky. To find an agency fighting hunger in your area, go to the Member Agencies section and click on the map.

Food banking allows recipient organizations to get food and non-food items for pennies on the dollar. Each organization contributes a handling fee of up to 18 cents per pound for product from the Food Bank. This contribution helps pay part of the cost of obtaining, transporting, warehousing and distributing the product. God’s Pantry covers the remainder of the cost through donations from individuals, churches and businesses.

In fiscal year 2007 God’s Pantry Food Bank distributed more than 13.4 million pounds of food and grocery products. Nearly 3 million of those pounds were perishable, healthy fruits and vegetables.