As Harvest Pack is living into our mission of providing a healthy meal on every table, our team gets amazing opportunities to partner with food banks and food pantries across the country. Some may ask, “What’s the difference between a food bank and a food pantry?” Although they both have the same mission of providing nutritious food to individuals and families in need, both play very different yet crucial roles.
A food bank is an organization that receives, stores, and distributes large quantities of food donations to smaller organizations that give those foods directly to those in need. Food banks often act as a point of connection for places like restaurants, grocery stores, and businesses looking to donate food. A food bank is often located in a larger warehouse-like building in order to house the staff, equipment, and room necessary to store and distribute large amounts of food in bulk.
A food pantry is a smaller organization that serves the surrounding local community. When thinking of food pantries, think of the local food shelf in your community. Food pantries are the organizations that give food directly to those in need. Food pantries rely on larger food banks to get food in bulk at a cheaper price in order to then distribute that food to those who need it in smaller areas. Sometimes groups like churches, schools, and community clubs receive donations from food banks in order to hold their own food shelves on a regular basis and further reach those in need within local communities.
As the Harvest Pack team supports our partners in packing meals for those facing food insecurity, we get the chance to connect with food banks and local pantries across the country. In 2025 alone, we distributed 2,746,172 servings of our fortified instant oatmeal to local food banks and food pantries across the country. Two notable food banks the Harvest Pack team has had the opportunity to partner with are the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC and Houston Food bank, the largest food bank in the U.S.
Making an impact can look different for all of us. To some, making an impact looks like volunteering their time completing warehouse duties for a food bank. For others, making an impact can look like assisting with distributing food to those in need at their local food pantry or by volunteering their time at a meal-packing event to assemble the food that will be donated to those in need. Visit our website to learn more about different ways you can help your local community or how to hold your own Harvest Pack.
Resources
Bolton, Becca. “How Are Food Pantries Different from Food Banks? | The River Food Pantry.” 5 Mar. 2021.
Heartland, Second Harvest. “What Is a Food Bank? | 2Harvest.Org.” 2024.
Hungry |, No Kid. “What Is a Food Bank vs Food Pantry?” 31 Jan. 2023.
Northwest Pennsylvania, Second Harvest Food Bank. “Food Bank vs. Food Pantry « Food Bank.” 2017.
of the Rockies, Food Bank. “What Is a Food Bank? Breaking Down the Basics | Food Bank of the Rockies.” 16 Feb. 2026.