Types of Member Agencies
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Food Pantry
A food pantry is an individual site that distributes bags or boxes of food directly to those in need who reside in a specified area. The food is distributed on a regular schedule to people in need of emergency food, and neighbors in need consume the food off-site.
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Soup Kitchen
A soup kitchen serves emergency meals to neighbors on-site on regularly scheduled days and times.
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Shelter
A shelter provides on-site meals plus emergency housing and other services for neighbors in need. Examples include domestic violence shelters and homeless shelters.
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After-School Program
An after-school program provides food and/or snacks to school-age children after school. Summer programs, at times, can fall into this category.
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Residential Program
A residential program is an agency that distributes food to participants in a live-in healthcare facility that provides therapy and treatment for substance abuse, mental illness, or other behavioral issues.
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Produce Express
The Produce Express program delivers a truckload of fresh produce and other groceries for neighbors in need where typical traditional food pantries are not available. Each truck carries enough food to provide eligible neighbors with between 25 and 50 pounds of nutritious food, free of charge. The program makes fresh, healthy produce available to those who normally would not have access to it, encouraging communities to eat healthier and make better nutritional choices.
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Military Share
In northwest Pennsylvania, nearly 18 percent of households receiving food assistance have at least one member who has served in the military. The Military Share initiative, a Produce Express program of Second Harvest Food Bank, provides fresh, nutritious foods for families with at least one member who has served in the armed forces.
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BackPack Program
School-aged children are among those in northwest Pennsylvania most affected by hunger each day. The BackPack program provides children with nutritious, child-friendly food and snacks on Fridays at their schools so they can bring it home, helping provide the proper nutrition necessary for weekends when other food resources may not be available.
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School Pantry
Like our BackPack program, but geared more toward older school-aged children, school pantries allow students to “shop” at a designated spot inside the school for free groceries and personal care products that they can bring home on Fridays.
Eligibility to be a Member Agency
- Eligibility to be a member agency of SHFB requires an organization to meet Internal Revenue Service eligibility requirements for the receipt, transfer, and use of donated products under Section 170 (e) (3) of the IRS Code.
a. 501 (c)(3) non-profit Corporation-The agency is required to submit a current 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS verifying their non-profit corporate status and verifying that it is not a private foundation.
b. Church/Religious Organization – The agency hereby states that it is incorporated or considered a church as defined by the IRS. The religious organization is required to submit the IRS Church Qualifier form. - The agency must not be revoked of its non-profit status and/or tax-exempt status by Pennsylvania or any other state or the federal government.
- Agency must be incorporated for the purpose of serving the needy, ill, infants or other qualified individuals who are in need of food.
- The agency agrees that it will not sell or use donated products by SHFB for any fund-raising events or in any way for political purposes.
- An agency cannot offer for sale, sell, transfer nor barter the donated product in exchange for money, other properties, or services.
- Agency will provide emergency food, free of charge, to those who qualify, and may not require or solicit payment, donations or services in exchange for food and/or merchandise received from SHFB.
- Agency agrees to allow SHFB to monitor for compliance at least once every two years, or more often at SHFB’s discretion.
- Agency agrees to send one representative to the annual Agency Conference.
- The agency will ensure the fair distribution of food while maintaining the civil rights and dignity of neighbors.
- The agency must have established regular hours for food distribution. Agency must provide visible signage at their facility notifying the public of days and hours of operation.
- Agency may not discriminate on basis of race, color, sex, citizenship, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation including gender identity.
- Agency staff and volunteers must complete annual food safety and civil rights training.
