How a Food Bank Works
How can we feed more than 220,000 people in Orange County every month? And how do we make sure that 94.6¢ of every dollar you donate goes directly to feeding the hungry?
Grow, Collect and Purchase
First, we collect donated food from a wide variety of sources: manufacturers, growers, packers, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, amusement parks, our Incredible Edible Park, Feeding America, the USDA and corporate and community food drives. We also purchase some staple items in bulk to make sure they are always available.
Sort, Stock, and Deliver
Then our 9,000 volunteers check food for quality and safety, and put it in our inventory or deliver it directly to our member agencies. Most of our agencies then shop for the items they need, in person or online, paying a tiny fraction of the cost.
Partner Distribution
Finally, we work with more than 450 partner agencies to distribute food through emergency grocery programs, soup kitchens, after-school programs, senior centers, shelters, and group homes. Last year we distributed more than 15 million pounds of food.
We are working to eliminate hunger in Orange County.
Take A Tour
How did Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County make its home in the Great Park? How does the Food Bank distribute one million pounds of food each month? Does Second Harvest really have a 4,550 square fridge?
Here's your chance to find out the answers to these questions and more! See Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County in action during our next tour.
Check out the tour schedule now.
Our Food Programs
We're able to alleviate hunger for over 220,000 people each month through our network of partner charities and direct hunger relief programs.
Find out more about our programs.