United Food Bank is a clearing house for food to feed the hungry. They service over 250 agencies which feed the poor. The United Food Bank also has a direct service program which provides a food box once a week to anyone for only $16. A box of food will feed four people for approximately 3 days. So far this year, they have distributed 349,872 food boxes to the needy. The demand for their services has increased about 50% this past year. The number of donations has increased by about 37%. But the donation size is down and United Food Bank is experiencing a 2.2 million pound shortfall this year in needed donations.
The United Food Bank has two outreach programs: Food for Thought program and First Responders program. The Food for Thought program provides a food box to needy students for good performance in school. The student is able to help his family while helping himself. And parent-teacher interaction is fostered when the parents have to pick up the food box from the teacher. The First Responders program provides a food box to households which are identified as needy by Emergency Personnel. It give the first reponders another tool to save lives.