Mobile Food Pantry
The Food Bank operates a Mobile Food Pantry program, which delivers fresh produce, dairy products, and other food and grocery products directly to distribution sites where people need food. When the truck arrives at a site, volunteers organize food for distribution. Depending on the location, it may be a drive through or a walk-up. Please note all attendees must pre-register for Mobile Food Pantries.
Interested in Using
the Mobile Food Pantry?
Even in areas where partner agencies provide support, set business hours and a lack of transportation can leave some people at risk of hunger. If you’re interested in using the Mobile Food Pantry, follow these steps:
- View the schedule to find the distribution that works best for you. The schedule includes the distribution location, date, time, and information when and how to register.
- Register by calling 2-1-1 or by filling out the Mobile Food Pantry registration below.
- Arrive at the distribution site and pick the items that you need. There will be fresh produce, dairy products, and other grocery items.
- We request that families visit no more than three Mobile Food Pantry distributions a month.
The BackPack Program
Many children who receive free and reduced priced school meals are left without the nutrition they need on weekends and holiday breaks.
The BackPack Program reduces this gap and helps children who are at risk of hunger on weekends and when school is not in session by providing them with a bag of nutritious food each Friday throughout the school year.
Interested in Enrolling Your Child in the BackPack Program?
Everything in a BackPack is easy to prepare – even without a stove or a can opener in some cases. We do not include anything that would be easy to break, such as glass jars. Each BackPack comes with:
Kids’ Farmers Markets
The Kids’ Farmers Market is a no-cost market with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for children and is sponsored by Williams Toyota. The overall goals of the Kids’ Farmers Market are to:
- Increase children’s exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables and create an awareness of the importance of eating these foods.
- Encourage long-term nutritious eating patterns.
- Create new and fun opportunities for learning about fruits and vegetables (including taste tests and recipes).
- Give children the confidence to try unfamiliar foods.
- Promote a better understanding of how gardening/ agriculture produces the healthy foods we eat.
- Provide an opportunity for children to take fruits and vegetables home to share with their families.
Our Kids’ Farmers Market events have concluded for the summer of 2025. Stay tuned for the 2026 schedule!
Healthy Harvest Program
The Healthy Harvest program was launched in 2014 to provide locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables to those served by the Food Bank of the Southern Tier during harvest season here in the Northeast.
The success of the program encouraged the Food Bank to commit to providing as much fresh produce as possible throughout the entire year. While the emphasis remains on working with our local agricultural community as much as possible, we have extended our commitment to fresh fruit and vegetables beyond the local harvest season.
Our Farm Partners
- Addison Family Farms, Addison, NY
- Brennan Farm, Avoca, NY
- North Windsor Berries, Windsor, NY
- Stoney Ridge Orchard, Erin, NY
The Results
- Investment in local farms supports local, sustainable agriculture economy
- Increased awareness of the need for food assistance leads to increased produce donations
- Greater support for the mission of the Food Bank — Working together to build and sustain hunger free communities throughout the Southern Tier.
