Editing Food bank (section)

==Operational models==
[[Image:Insidecafb.png|right|The warehouse of the [[Capital Area Food Bank]]|thumb]]

With thousands of food banks operating around the world, there are many different models.<ref name="global history">{{cite web |title=Global FoodBanking Network: History of Food Banking |url=http://www.foodbanking.org/site/PageServer?pagename=foodbanking_history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015031147/http://www.foodbanking.org/site/PageServer?pagename=foodbanking_history |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=20 June 2012}}</ref>

A major distinction between food banks is whether or not they operate on the "front line" model, giving out food directly to the hungry, or whether they operate with the "[[warehouse]]" model, supplying food to intermediaries like food pantries, soup kitchens and other front-line organizations.<ref>These organizations can be private or public, religious or secular. The type and nature of the recipient agency vary depending upon the policies of the food bank, the nature of their community, and the local laws where they operate.</ref> In the US, Australia and to an extent in Canada, the standard model is for food banks to act as warehouses rather than as suppliers to the end user, though there are exceptions. In other countries, food banks usually hand out food parcels direct to hungry people, providing the service that in the US is offered by ''food pantries''{{Anchor|Food pantry}}.

Another distinction is between the charity model and the labor union model. At least in Canada and the US, food banks run by charities often place relatively more weight on the salvaging of food that would otherwise go to waste, and on encouraging [[Volunteering|voluntarism]], whereas those run by unions can place greater emphasis on feeding the hungry by any means available, on providing work for the unemployed, and on education, especially on explaining to users their civil rights.<ref name="welfare crisis">
{{cite book|author=Graham Riches|title=Food banks and the welfare crisis|chapter=''passim'', see esp. Models of Food Banks|year=1986|isbn=0888103638|publisher=Lorimer}}</ref>

In the US, cities will often have a single food bank that acts as a centralized warehouse and will serve several hundred front-line agencies. Like a [[blood bank]], that warehouse serves as a single collection and distribution point for food donations. A food bank operates a lot like a for-profit food distributor, but in this case, it distributes food to charities, not to food retailers. There is often no charge to the charities, but some food banks do charge a small "shared maintenance" fee to help defray the cost of storage and distribution.

For many US food banks, most of their donated food comes from food left over from the normal processes of for-profit companies. It can come from any part of the food chain, e.g. from growers who have produced too much or whose food is not sufficiently visually appealing; from manufacturers who overproduced; or from retailers who over-ordered. Often the product is approaching or past its "sell by" date. In such cases, the food bank liaises with the food industry and with regulators to make sure the food is safe and legal to distribute and eat.

[[File:US Navy 111123-N-HW977-185 Sailors weigh Thanksgiving food drive donations before delivery to the Corona-Norco Settlement House.jpg|thumb|Volunteers weigh food drive donations.]]

Other sources of food include the general public, sometimes in the form of "[[food drive]]s", and government programs that buy and distribute excess farm products mostly to help support higher commodity prices. Food banks can also buy food either at market prices or from wholesalers and retailers at discounted prices, often at a cost. Sometimes farmers will allow food banks to send [[Gleaning|gleaners]] to salvage leftover crops for free once their primary harvest is complete. A few food banks have even taken over their farms, though such initiatives have not always been successful.<ref>{{cite book|author=Elizabeth Henderson and Robyn Van En|title=Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen's Guide to Community Supported Agriculture|publisher=Chealsea Green Publishing|chapter=Chapt 19|year=1986|isbn=193339210X}}</ref>

Many food banks do not accept fresh produce, preferring canned or packaged food due to health and safety concerns, though some have tried to change this as part of a growing worldwide awareness of the importance of nutrition. As an example, in 2012, London Food Bank (Canada) started accepting perishable food, reporting that as well as the obvious health benefits, there were noticeable emotional benefits to recipients when they were given fresh food.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=18 July 2012|author=Ian Gillespie|date=17 July 2012|title=How to produce results|url=https://lfpress.com/news/columnists/ian_gillespie/2012/07/17/19997971.html|work=London Free Press|archive-date=12 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112223916/http://www.lfpress.com/news/columnists/ian_gillespie/2012/07/17/19997971.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Summer can be a challenging time for food banks, particularly in regions where school children are usually given regular free meals during term time. Spikes in demand can coincide with periods where donations fall due to folk being on holiday.<ref>{{cite web|title=Students swell summer demand for food banks|url=http://www.canada.com/Students+swell+summer+demand+food+banks/6915467/story.html|author=Lexi Bainas|date=11 July 2012|work=Canada.com|access-date=12 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/2012/07/11/food-banks-struggle-during-summer/|title=Food banks struggle during summer|author=Tracy Agnew|date=11 July 2012|work=Suffolk news herald|access-date=12 July 2012|archive-date=12 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112223909/http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/2012/07/11/food-banks-struggle-during-summer/|url-status=live}}</ref>