While the common estimate of food banks in the United States falls reliably near 200, this count is far from accurate. It is known that there to are at least 371 such organizations. 200 food banks are listed by Feeding America and are responsible for distributing food to an estimated 60,000 pantries, agencies, and programs nationwide.

Feeding America also has a list of 77 ‘partner distribution organizations’ (PDOs), which effectively operate in the same capacity as food banks – storing and distributing food to pantries. These PDOs, while generally smaller than the primary 200 food banks, play a significant role in hunger relief, pushing out millions of pounds of food and running various programs to tackle hunger.

Independently of Feeding America, there are approximately 53 other food banks. Some of these are smaller operations, serving just ten or fewer pantries, while others are quite large, catering to hundreds of pantries. One of these, the Midwest Food Bank, is particularly significant, providing food to 1,700 pantries via food banks in ten locations. A few such independent food banks are:

• Anne Arundel County Food Bank | MD
• Bellingham Food Bank | WA
• Billings Food Bank | MT
• Chesterfield Food Bank | VA
• Midwest Food Bank | IN
• York County Food Bank | PA

A newer category of food banks focuses primarily on rescuing food. There are at least 37 such organizations, which do not rely on non-perishable food from grocers or manufacturers, but instead rescue fresh food and distribute it swiftly to avoid waste. Their operations often involve collecting food from places such as wholesale markets, farms, and restaurants, among others. A few such organizations include:

• 412 Food Rescue | PA
• Boston Area Gleaners | MA
• Food Forward | CA
• Food Recovery Network | MD
• Keep Austin Fed | TX
• Waste Not | AZ
• White Pony Express | CA

Several organizations exist to prepare and deliver meals directly to clients, primarily serving elderly and disabled individuals. This activity is becoming increasingly prevalent in the food banking world, with many food banks integrating meal prep and delivery with their standard pantry distributions. A few such meal prep and delivery missions are:

• Citymeals on Wheels | NY
• DC Central Kitchen | DC
• God’s Love We Deliver | NY
• Meals on Wheels America | VA

In total, estimates find at least 371 organizations in the U.S. largely carry out the basic role of collecting perishable or non-perishable food and redistributing it to food-insecure individuals. This doesn’t include the estimated 60,000 food pantries, agencies, and programs that act as intermediaries, obtaining food from food banks or rescue organizations and delivering it directly to those in need.