Get to Know Our Food Bank Partners
That's Caring is fortunate enough to partner with these amazing organizations solving childhood hunger. You can learn quick facts about each of our partners here as well as details about the weekend bag programs, which are what proceeds from That's Caring gifts support.
Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB)
Washington, D.C.
The Capital Area Food Bank creates access to good, healthy food for people in the Washington, D.C. area, helping feed over 540,000 people a year—that's 12% of their community.
With 11 different programs and 444 partner organizations, they are actively creating solutions for the hunger problem in the DC metropolitan area. In 2015 alone, they distributed 44 million pounds of fruits, vegetables and groceries in their community.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
Over 200,000 teens and kids are at risk of hunger in the Washington, D.C. metro area. CAFB established their weekend bag program in 2002 to make sure these kids get a chance to have a nutritious meal and are now serving communities where at least 50% of the children in local schools are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank (LARFB)
Los Angeles, CA
In the Los Angeles area, an estimated 1.4 million people struggle with hunger. Over the last 40 years, LARFB has provided over one billion pounds of food to their clients. In 2016, they distributed 55 million meals—over 62 million pounds of food. They work with over 30,000 volunteers and 625 partners a year to solve hunger in their community.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
One in four kids in LARFB's community struggles with hunger. Their BackPack program reaches these kids and ensures that they are not only sustained during the National School Lunch Program, but also over the summers and weekends. In 2016, LARFB distributed over 33,000 backpacks to children.
North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)
Plano, TX
The North Texas Food Bank passionately pursues a hunger-free community, providing 70 million nutritious meals in 2016 alone. Founded in 1992, they've grown to operate in 13 counties and with over 200 partner organizations. Every dollar donated to NTFB provides three meals for people in their community.
They have programs dedicated to feeding different groups in different areas, addressing all those struggling with hunger in North Texas.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
NTFB's weekend bag program is one of the largest we work with. The program operates in 10 counties across North Texas, reaching 365 schools and providing nutritious weekend groceries for 12,000 children every week.
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia (FBNEGA)
Athens, GA
When they opened in 1992, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia served 350,000 pounds of food to their community. Now, they serve over 12 million pounds of food a year and partner with 225 organizations.
They've established regional branches and targeted programs to ensure that everyone in their community is receiving the help they need.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
Though they started by feeding 80 students in one county, the food bank BackPack program spread to feed more than 1900 children across their service area every week.
Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ)
Hillside, NJ
The Community Food Bank of New Jersey provides food and assistance to the entire state, either through their own facilities or in partnership with other agencies and organizations. CFBNJ began when one woman, Kathleen DiChiara, started giving people in need groceries from the trunk of her car.
They have grown to distribute more than 50 million pounds of food every year through their partners and provide 4.7 million meals to their community.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
Every week, CFBNJ provides weekend meals to 1,500 children in 10 cities across New Jersey with shelf-stable, nutritious ingredients that give them the energy to thrive.
Second Harvest Food Bank Metrolina (SHFBM)
Charlotte, NC
SHFBM serves 14 counties in North Carolina and five in South Carolina, partnering with over 700 organizations to distribute food and supplies. More than 527,000 people in their service area struggle with hunger, which is about 18% of their population.
Each year, SHFBM distributes over 50 million pounds of food and other supplies through programs designed to reach those struggling with hunger in their community.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
SHFBM's weekend bag program coordinates with schools to provide some of the 180,000 children in their service area with nutritious, easy-to-prepare weekend meals.
Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB)
Charleston, NC
Serving the metropolitan areas of Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Yemassee in South Carolina, LCFB provides the 10 coastal counties with food and supplies. In 2016 alone, they distributed over 25 million pounds of food, including 6 million pounds of fresh produce.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
LCFB partners with more than 40 schools to provide hungry children with weekend meal supplies. They distribute over 3,200 backpacks a week, and 75% of parents say that their children showed improved health.
Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR)
Denver, CO
FBR provides their expansive service area—which includes 30 counties in Colorado and the entire state of Wyoming—with 131,449 meals every day. They partner with 500 partner relief agencies and have facilities of their own in Denver, Wyoming and on the Western Slope.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
Nearly 50% of the people FBR serves are children. Their weekend bag program, called Totes of Hope, provides children in food-insecure households with 8-9 pounds of nutritious food every weekend.
Feeding America Eastern WI (FAEWI)
Milwaukee, WI
FAEWI serves nearly 400,000 people in 35 counties, including 124,000 children and 41,000 seniors. They have distrusted over 8, million pounds of fresh produce, dairy and meat donated to them.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
In Wisconsin, 43% of all students qualify for free and reduced school lunches. For many of these children, school meals may be the only meals they eat. Through the FAEWI Backpack Program, they ensure children most in need are getting enough to eat on the weekends so they can return to the classroom on Mondays ready to learn. Each Friday, school personnel pack the weekend staples in normal school backpacks, which provide a discrete way to distribute the food.
Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB)
Geneva, IL
NIFB provides nutritious food, innovative feeding programs, and hope to neighbors in need across its 13-county service area. In its latest fiscal year, the Food Bank distributed more than 80 million meals, or 220,000 meals daily, and expects the need will continue to rise in the year ahead.
Partnering with over 900 local organizations and facilities, they are able to turn a $1 donation into $8 worth of groceries, getting the most out of every cent they receive to make a truly great impact.
The Food Bank relies on generous donors, volunteers, and community partners who join together with a vision for no one to be hungry in Northern Illinois.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
The Food Bank collaborates with caring adults at 198 schools to identify students and enroll their families in the BackPack Program so that children can be nourished on the weekend and return to school ready to learn without the distraction of hunger.
Their multi-faceted Child Nutrition Program provides more than 1.9 million meals directly to children each year through After School Meals, Summer Meals, the BackPack Program, and the School Pantry Program.
Peoria Area Food Bank (PAFB)
Peoria, IL
PAFB was formed in 1984 to supplement the dietary and nutritional needs of low-income families living in the three surrounding counties of Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell. It provides 80 very active pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters with large quantities of food from name brand manufacturers and USDA commodities on a daily basis. We also operate two mobile food pantries in Mason County and assist eight pantries that provide backpacks to hundreds of children on the weekend.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
Backpack Programs help children get the nutritious food they need on the weekends, when school lunch and breakfast programs aren’t available. The food bank provides food to our partner agencies who operate these programs.
Central IL Food Bank (CIFB)
Springfield, IL
CIFB serves a 21-county area that distributes over 9 million pounds of food and 2 million pounds of fresh produce. This is roughly 7.5 million meals provided to those living in food insecurity.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
In partnership with Boys & Girls Club of Central Illinois and Springfield Urban League, CIFB operates Kids Cafe at three locations in Springfield during the school year. During the summer, CIFB also partners with the Springfield Park District, YMCA, and other community sites to offer meals at almost 10 locations.
Eastern Illinois Food Bank (EIFB)
Urbana, IL
EIFB is the primary food source for food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other programs working to feed the hungry in 18 eastern Illinois counties covering just over 14,500 square miles. Last year EIF provided 639,000 pounds of food through 53 Food mobiles in rural and under-served areas.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
EIFB’s backpack program provides backpacks full of food for children at risk of weekend hunger. They are delivered directly to students at school through EIF partner agencies, Feeding Our Kids and Food for Kids.
Food Bank of Northern Indiana (FBNI)
South Bend, IN
Today, nearly 13% of the residents of northern Indiana are food insecure. To help combat hunger in its area, in 2019 FBNI distributed more than 8.8 million pounds of food to its network of 150 member agencies in its six-county service area.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
The FBNI Food 4 Kids Backpack Program is designed for students in grades K-6 and is free to eligible students. Participating schools are identified as having a high rate of children eligible for free/reduced lunch programs. During the 2019-2020 school year, the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program provided weekend food bags to 2,280 students in schools in Elkhart, LaPorte, Marshall, Starke and St. Joseph Counties.
Community Harvest of NE Indiana (CHNEI)
Fort Wayne, IN
CHNEI serves the counties of Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells, Whitley and feeds over 85,000 unique individuals every year. This equates to over 13.6 million pounds of food distributed annually.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
CHNEI offers a Kids Backpack program that provides weekend food to children who would otherwise go hungry. Teachers and guidance staff refer children in desperate need of weekend meals to the food bank. Once on Kids Backpack, a ten-pound bag is distributed discreetly to each child for the weekend and contains nutritious, kid-friendly foods. Not only is there enough food to feed the referred student, there is enough to feed a hungry sibling as well.
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana (SHFBECI)
Muncie, IN
SHFBECI has a network of 96 agency partners and 35 schools in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wabash counties that help them to serve 66,620 people each year. Over 4,300 volunteers help to deliver 8 million pounds of food each year.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
Over 20% of children are food insecure in East Central Indiana. In conjunction with weekend bag programs, SHFBECI has The Big Idea Initiative. The goal is to help raise parent engagement by strengthening the relationships between the school and the families. They turn routine food distributions, filling a need week to week, into an opportunity to connect teachers, parents, and local organizations, helping students create plans and opportunities towards a successful future.
Gleaners Food Bank of Southern Michigan (GFBSM)
Detroit, MI
Founded in 1977, Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan continues to live up to their mission of feeding people and nourishing the community by distributing 45 million pounds of food each year. With a focus on delivering high-quality nutritious groceries, nearly half of all food provided by Gleaners is fresh produce and dairy. In additional to offering a wide range of feeding programs, Gleaners also provides nutrition education to help guests create life-long healthy eating habits.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
Gleaners helps ensure every child receives consistent access to nutritious food. Once school lets out in southeast Michigan, 310,000 students who rely on school meals are at risk of going hungry. Gleaners helps combat childhood hunger by providing students with wholesome food ahead of the weekend and school breaks. Every year, their Backpack program reaches 4,500 children at 70 schools with the highest need throughout the region.
Feeding America West Michigan (FAWM)
Comstock Park, MI
FAWM distributes millions of pounds of food each year through its partnerships with more than 900 agencies and three distribution organizations including Manna Food Project, Food Rescue and the Western Upper Peninsula Food Bank. In 2018, Feeding America West Michigan distributed 25.1 million pounds of food – equivalent to 21 million meals. Roughly one-third of the food Feeding America West Michigan distributes is fresh produce. The rest of the food is made up of meat, dairy, baked, frozen and non-perishable goods.
Weekend Bag Program Details:
FAWM works with schools to develop weekend meal bag pack programs and school pantry programs. a school pantry can be accessed by older children and families. The pantries are housed in the school building and is accessible to only school families.
We're always looking for more partners and strive to work with a food bank in every state. Have any suggestions? Let us know by commenting below, contacting us or giving us a call at 224-366-5323.
