If you clicked on this article because you don’t know what a food bank is, I’m really glad you’re here. In my opinion food banks are one of America’s best kept secrets. It’s not that they try to fly under the radar, but instead they can easily get lost in the sea of media that we take in daily. You shouldn’t even feel bad about not knowing what food banks are, because I had no idea they existed until my mother became the CEO of one. Despite my original cluelessness, eight years of food bank culture has been more than enough to bring me up to speed. However, you really only need about fifteen minutes worth of education to know what a food bank is and why it matters.

To properly explain what a food bank is, I have to mention what a food bank is not. A food bank is not a food pantry. Your church pantry? Not a food bank. Local soup kitchen? Not a food bank. Senior center with daily lunches? Not a food bank. Food banks are actually the entities that provide food for the food pantries, usually at little to no cost. It is important that this distinction is made, because if you send a family in need to your local food bank, you have sent them to the wrong place. Food banks give food to pantries so that pantries can give food to families in need. They also act as directories. If someone you know is unsure of where their nearest food pantry or soup kitchen is, just have them call up their local food bank. Also, as you have likely figured out by now, a food bank has nothing to do with an actual bank. Don’t call them up to open a savings account or make a deposit (unless you want to deposit food, which they will gladly take).

Food banks are essentially giant wonderlands of healthy and tasty food to send to pantries, so that the pantries have no trouble feeding their patrons. If you thought that the food chain couldn’t get any longer, you’d be wrong. There are about 200 food banks in the United States and most of them are members of Feeding America, or as I like to call it, the mothership. Feeding America supports these 200 food banks so that they can support their 60,000 pantries and the pantries can support the estimated 48 million people in need in our country. Also, because the food banks are part of the network, they can easily get connected with each other to share ideas and even exchange food. Basically, it’s the yummiest family tree ever.

While a food bank’s key goal is to provide food for its pantries, many food banks have their own programs as well. School pantries, backpacks full of food for kids and mobile food pantries are just a few of the initiatives that food banks across the nation have implemented. The most important thing that I could ever tell you about a food bank is that they love donations and volunteers. Warehouses full of food aren’t possible without generous donations, and the programs I discussed can’t be put into motion without people who have willing hearts.

If you truly want to know what a food bank is, the best thing you can do is call yours. Take a tour, schedule a time to volunteer, head up a food drive, or help with a program. Click here to discover America’s best kept secret right in your own backyard. More importantly, if you know someone who is unsure of where their next meal might come from, ask them to call their local food bank to find out.