A food bank is an organization that distributes donated food to other organizations who use the food to feed the hungry. Food is obtained through private and public sources and distributed to affiliated charitable providers such as soup kitchens, pantries and shelters. Food banks also often sponsor a variety of programs in the community to ensure food gets to the needy, especially children.

Food recovery is the collection of wholesome food for distribution to the poor and hungry. The four most common methods are: Field Gleaning - The collection of crops from farmers' fields that have already been mechanically harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. Perishable Food Rescue or Salvage - The collection of perishable produce from wholesale and retail sources. Food Rescue - The collection of prepared foods from the food service industry. Nonperishable Food Collection - The collection of processed foods with long shelf lives. This category is for sites discussing this topic and for organizations participating in this type of effort.

Food Stamp or Food Voucher Programs enable low-income families to buy nutritious food with coupons and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards at authorized retail food stores. These programs are mostly governmental, but may also be privately run. This category is for organizations providing food stamps, and also for informational sites about these types of programs.