Benefits of Membership

• Excellent Customer Service. We value the dedicated efforts of partner agency staff and volunteers to feed the hungry, and we want to help. We are committed to being more than just a resource for food to our partner agencies. We seek also to expand each agencies capacity to fulfill its mission. At the same time, we continuously seek to enhance our own capacity to serve our partner agencies.
  
•  A wide variety of surplus food and grocery products. Our partner agencies have access to a wide variety of quality food donations from national companies through our national organization - America ’s Second Harvest. Staple food items are available through the TEFAP program (The Emergency Food Assistance Program of the United States Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services commodities), and our annual area food drives. A three-acre Community Garden and other produce connections enable us to offer a variety of fresh produce. Frozen meats also are regularly available. And, if your organization provides an emergency food program (Emergency Food Pantry, Soup Kitchen, Rescue Mission, etc) you’ll also have access to our State Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) products, such as canned stews and meats and other staple items.
  
• Substantial cost savings. We welcome the opportunity to be an important supplement to your agency’s food supply. Last year, our partner agencies saved more tha $11 million over wholesale prices by using our services. These savings often enable partner agencies to strengthen and/or expand program services. Though Second Harvest Food Bank product is donated to agencies, partners are asked to pay a shared maintenance fee of $.18/pound to help defray costs of soliciting, collecting, inspecting, sorting and distributing product.
  
•  Shopper’s Choice. The Second Harvest Food Bank is one of just a few food banks in the nation that run a “Shopper’s Choice” operation where partner agencies may come in to our warehouse to select product. We operate Monday through Friday, with shopping hours from 8 a.m. – 12 noon and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
  
•  Rural Delivery. Partner agencies located in Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Caswell, Iredell, Randolph , Rockingham, Surry, Wilkes and Watauga Counties may place orders using a Rural Delivery Order Form for delivery every two weeks.
  
• Learning, Development and Networking Opportunities. In addition to initial Orientation Training, partner agencies have the opportunity to attend an Annual Agency Conference, as well as periodic workshops/seminars in support of expanding your organization’s capacity to serve those in need.