Harry Chapin Food Bank and the Coronavirus

Harry Chapin Food Bank and the Coronavirus 1982 1255 Harry Chapin Food Bank

Friday, February 19, 2021

Your food bank distributed 963,299 pounds of food this week. The food that we provide for our five-county footprint requires tremendous coordination involving several partners and work teams.

Your food bank divides its fleet of trucks and drivers into four separate categories, each ensuring that no one has to go hungry: Retail drivers, Just-In-Time drivers, Partner Agency drivers, and Mobile Pantry drivers.

Our Retail drivers focus on picking up food that we rescue from our retail partners, such as Publix Super Markets or Walmart. These loads of food are brought back to our distribution centers and sorted by our volunteers for distribution.

Our Just-In-Time drivers pick up produce and perishable items and deliver them for same-day distribution.

Our Partner Agency drivers deliver food from our distribution centers to 150 trusted partner agencies.

Our Mobile Pantry drivers load their trucks daily with food kits that our change makers have packed and are distributed in various locations throughout our five-county footprint.

Our trucks have seen a dramatic increase in their mileage of more than 25 percent, even with a sophisticated GPS system that is designed to maximize mileage and reduce wear and tear on our trucks. In fact, these trucks and their drivers delivered the 32,710,107 meals that we provided since March 2020 to those who are hungry.

We are grateful for the many that help us load each truck with food. Each truck is full of the passionate labor of our change makers and staff. Each truck is fueled by those in the community that provide us the financial resources to fill each truck. Our fleet delivers not only food, but also hope and community.

All these roads we take together lead to a beautiful destination – a community where no one has to go hungry. Thank you, together, we are making a difference.

If you are well, able, and willing to volunteer, please click here to sign up.

If you are looking for food, please click here.

To support our efforts, please click here.