Regional Food Bank

About Us

The Regional Food Bank has been helping to feed the poor and hungry in our communities since 1982. It is the only organization of its kind in northeastern New York. The Food Bank collects large donations of food from the food industry and distributes it to charitable agencies serving hungry and disadvantaged people in 23 counties. From Plattsburgh to Newburgh, in urban, rural, and suburban communities, the Food Bank provides over 35 million pounds of food a year to 1,000 agencies.

History

The Regional Food Bank was created by a group of food pantry coordinators and anti-hunger advocates in June 1982. The Food Bank operated for seven years in a commercial storage warehouse, and in 1989 moved into a newly constructed 21,000 square-foot warehouse. The Food Bank outgrew this facility in less than four years and moved its operation to a modern 42,000 square-foot warehouse in 1993. In 2017, the Food Bank completed a major renovation project to significantly expand its warehouse storage space in an effort to meet the ever-growing requests for food assistance. The Food Bank now has a 70,000 square-foot building to accommodate donations.

The mission of the Regional Food Bank is to alleviate hunger and prevent food waste. We work toward this mission by ensuring that all products available for donation reach the Food Bank and are distributed judiciously to our member agencies; by practicing responsible stewardship; and by actively participating in the community to increase awareness of hunger and poverty