Food Banks by State: Complete US Food Assistance Directory

TOP TLDR:

Food banks by state across the United States range from large regional Feeding America member networks to independent community pantries, mobile distributions, and food justice organizations — and knowing which resources exist in your state is the first step toward accessing or directing others to help quickly. More than 44 million Americans experience food insecurity, including disproportionate rates among people with disabilities, rural residents, and communities of color. Use Kelly's Kitchen's searchable Food Security Network to find food banks, pantries, farms, and food justice organizations in your zip code — with accessibility information included for every listing.

How to Use This Directory

Food insecurity looks different in every region of the country. The barriers facing a family in rural Appalachia — sparse transportation options, limited grocery infrastructure, geographic isolation — differ from those facing an immigrant family in a dense urban neighborhood, or a disabled person navigating limited physical access to a distant food pantry. This directory is built with that complexity in mind.

For every region and state below, you will find the major food bank network anchor, key resources and programs specific to that state, and notes on populations and access challenges that are particularly relevant to that geography. This is a starting point, not an exhaustive list — food security resources change frequently, new organizations emerge, and the most current local information is always best found through a direct search.

The fastest and most comprehensive way to find food resources near you — including accessibility information for people with disabilities — is Kelly's Kitchen's Food Security Network. Supported by the Ford Foundation, this searchable directory includes food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, rural farms, urban farms, and food justice organizations in every state, with eligibility requirements, delivery options, and disability accessibility information for each listing. A screen reader-compatible list version and a map-based version are both available.

If you need food today and are not sure where to start, call or text 211. This free, confidential service connects callers to emergency food assistance, SNAP enrollment help, and other crisis services in their area, 24 hours a day.

Understanding the Food Bank System in the United States

Before diving into the state-by-state breakdown, it helps to understand how the national food assistance infrastructure is organized — because the terminology matters when you are trying to locate help or refer someone else to it.

Food banks are regional distribution centers. They collect donated and purchased food from manufacturers, retailers, government programs, and individual donors, then distribute it in bulk to smaller partner organizations. Most people cannot walk up to a food bank and receive food directly — food banks supply the pantries and programs that serve individuals.

Food pantries are the community-level organizations that most people interact with. They receive food from food banks and other sources, then distribute it directly to individuals and families. Operating hours, eligibility requirements, and the types of food available vary widely from pantry to pantry.

Soup kitchens and meal programs provide prepared, hot meals rather than grocery items. They often serve people experiencing homelessness or those who lack the kitchen facilities or ability to prepare food independently.

Mobile food distributions and pop-up pantries bring food directly into neighborhoods, reducing transportation barriers for people who cannot easily travel to a fixed-location pantry. These are particularly important in rural areas and for people with mobility disabilities.

Food justice organizations work at the intersection of food access and systemic equity — addressing not just the immediate need for food but the structural conditions that produce food insecurity in communities that have been historically marginalized.

Kelly's Kitchen's community food share programs guide provides a deeper explanation of how these models work together and how communities can strengthen them. For those interested in starting or supporting a local pantry, Kelly's Kitchen's Little Free Pantry program has placed more than 48 accessible community pantries across the United States, with resources to help communities establish and maintain their own.

Northeast: Food Banks by State

Maine The Good Shepherd Food Bank is Maine's largest hunger relief organization, operating a network of more than 400 partner agencies across the state including mobile pantries that serve rural and remote communities. Maine's rural geography makes mobile distribution particularly important.

New Hampshire, Vermont Both states rely on regional food bank networks with strong farm partnership programs that channel fresh produce — particularly gleaned crops — into the pantry system. Vermont Foodbank and New Hampshire Food Bank are the anchor organizations.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut New England's urban centers — Boston, Providence, Hartford — have dense pantry networks alongside significant immigrant populations that benefit from pantries offering culturally specific foods. Greater Boston Food Bank, Rhode Island Community Food Bank, and CT Foodshare are the primary regional distributors.

New York Food Bank for New York City and Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York serve two very different contexts. New York City's network includes hundreds of pantries, community refrigerators, and culturally specific programs. Rural upstate New York faces geographic barriers more similar to Appalachian or Midwestern food deserts. City Harvest operates one of the largest food rescue programs in the country in New York City.

New Jersey, Pennsylvania Community FoodBank of New Jersey and Philabundance (Philadelphia) alongside Central Pennsylvania Food Bank anchor these states. Pennsylvania's food landscape includes both dense urban areas with robust networks and rural central and western communities with significant access gaps.

Southeast: Food Banks by State

The Southeast — including Appalachia — carries some of the highest food insecurity rates in the country. Rural poverty, limited public transportation, and healthcare costs compound food access challenges across the region. Kelly's Kitchen operates in Western North Carolina and Appalachia, a historically high food desert area, and has become a central resource for food security programming and coordination in the region following Hurricane Helene's devastation of the area.

North Carolina Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina serve the major population centers. In Western North Carolina and the Appalachian region, food access is significantly more complex — smaller populations are spread across mountainous terrain with limited transportation infrastructure. Kelly's Kitchen provides accessible programming and resources specifically for this community. Contact Kelly's Kitchen directly to learn about food security resources in Western NC.

South Carolina Harvest Hope Food Bank and Lowcountry Food Bank serve South Carolina's distinct regions. Kelly's Kitchen was founded in South Carolina, with strong roots in the Lowcountry's food culture and food sovereignty traditions, before expanding operations to Western NC following Hurricane Helene.

Georgia, Florida Atlanta Community Food Bank and Feeding Northeast Florida are among the major regional anchors. Florida's large elderly population and seasonal agricultural workforce create specific food access dynamics that pantries across the state must account for.

Tennessee, Kentucky Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and God's Pantry Food Bank (Kentucky) serve regions with high poverty rates and significant rural food access challenges. Eastern Kentucky Appalachian communities share many of the same geographic and economic barriers as Western North Carolina.

Virginia, West Virginia Feeding America Southwest Virginia and Mountaineer Food Bank (West Virginia) serve some of the most chronically food-insecure communities in the country. West Virginia has one of the highest food insecurity rates of any state.

Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas The Deep South states carry persistently high rates of food insecurity tied to poverty, historical disinvestment, and limited healthcare access. Regional Feeding America members in each state — including the Food Bank of North Alabama, Mid-South Food Bank, and Second Harvest Food Bank Greater New Orleans — operate alongside a substantial network of faith-based and community pantries.

Midwest: Food Banks by State

Illinois, Indiana, Ohio The Greater Chicago Food Depository is one of the largest food bank operations in the country, serving Cook County and surrounding areas. Gleaners Food Bank (Indiana) and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks coordinate statewide networks.

Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota Feeding America West Michigan and Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, Second Harvest Heartland (Minnesota and Wisconsin) anchor the upper Midwest. Minnesota has relatively robust SNAP outreach infrastructure; Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin's agricultural communities face access challenges more typical of rural regions nationally.

Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas Regional Feeding America members serve agricultural states with significant rural and immigrant farmworker populations. Food Bank of Iowa, Harvesters Community Food Network (Kansas City area), and Food Bank for the Heartland (Nebraska and Iowa) are key organizations.

North Dakota, South Dakota Both states have large Native American reservation populations experiencing some of the highest food insecurity rates in the country. Great Plains Food Bank (North Dakota) and Feeding South Dakota work alongside tribal food programs to reach these communities. Reservation-based food access challenges are distinct — transportation distances, limited grocery infrastructure, and jurisdictional complexity all create barriers that mainstream food bank models cannot fully address alone.

Southwest and Mountain West: Food Banks by State

Texas North Texas Food Bank, Houston Food Bank, San Antonio Food Bank, and Capital Area Food Bank (Austin) serve a state with enormous geographic and demographic diversity — from dense urban food deserts to agricultural communities with large migrant worker populations. Houston Food Bank is among the largest food bank operations in the United States by volume distributed.

New Mexico, Arizona Both states include significant Native American populations with complex food access challenges. Roadrunner Food Bank (New Mexico) and St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance (Arizona) are regional anchors. St. Mary's operates one of the oldest food banks in the country, founded in 1967.

Colorado, Utah, Nevada Food Bank of the Rockies serves Colorado and Wyoming; Utah Food Bank serves Utah. Nevada Food Bank anchors the Las Vegas metro area, where food insecurity is significantly shaped by tourism industry employment patterns and associated income instability. Rural Nevada communities face extreme geographic barriers.

Wyoming, Montana, Idaho Sparsely populated states where food distribution challenges are primarily geographic. Food Bank of Wyoming, Montana Food Bank Network, and Idaho Foodbank operate small but essential statewide networks. Native American reservation communities in Montana and Idaho face documented food sovereignty and access challenges that require specific programmatic attention.

West Coast: Food Banks by State

California California's food bank landscape includes major urban operations — Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, SF-Marin Food Bank, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley — alongside agricultural regions where farmworker communities face high rates of food insecurity despite working in food production. California has the largest absolute number of people experiencing food insecurity of any state, driven by cost of living, housing instability, and large immigrant populations.

Oregon, Washington Oregon Food Bank and Northwest Harvest (Washington) operate statewide networks with strong emphasis on fresh produce and culturally specific programming. The Pacific Northwest has active food justice organizing traditions that have built innovative models including community refrigerators and solidarity fridge networks.

Alaska, Hawaii Alaska's food system is among the most expensive and most fragile in the country. Food Bank of Alaska coordinates statewide distribution, but remote communities accessible only by plane or boat face food costs and access challenges that are structurally different from anywhere in the lower 48. Hawai'i Food Bank serves the islands alongside programs that address the particular food sovereignty dimensions of Hawaiian culture and history.

Midwest and Great Plains: Additional States

Wisconsin, Minnesota were covered above. Additional notes for Indiana: Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana is the state's largest, serving 21 counties in central Indiana. Indiana's rural communities, particularly in the southern part of the state, experience food access challenges comparable to Appalachian neighbors across the Kentucky border.

Federal and National Food Assistance Programs Available in Every State

Regardless of state, several federal programs provide food assistance that people in every state can access. Understanding these programs — and the organizations that help people navigate them — is essential context for any food assistance directory.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides monthly benefits on an EBT card that can be used at grocery stores and many farmers markets. Eligibility is income-based. SNAP is the largest food assistance program in the country and, for many families, the primary source of food support. Enrollment assistance is available through local Department of Social Services offices and many food pantries.

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) provides nutrition support specifically for pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children under 5. WIC provides specific food benefits, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and social services.

School Breakfast and Lunch Programs provide free or reduced-price meals to income-eligible children at participating schools. Summer meal programs extend this access during school breaks.

TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) distributes USDA commodity foods through state agencies to food banks, which pass them on to pantries and soup kitchens. Many pantries distribute both TEFAP commodity foods and privately donated or purchased items.

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) specifically serves low-income seniors aged 60 and older, providing monthly food packages through local distribution sites.

Food Access for People with Disabilities: A Priority at Every Level

People with disabilities experience food insecurity at roughly double the rate of non-disabled people — a disparity driven by lower income, higher healthcare costs, transportation barriers, and physical access challenges at food distribution sites. Yet the food assistance system was largely not designed with disability access in mind, and many pantries and food banks still do not meet basic accessibility standards.

Kelly's Kitchen centers disability justice in every aspect of its food security work. The Food Security Network includes disability accessibility information for every listed organization — so people can search for pantries and food resources that are physically accessible, offer home delivery, or have disability-specific services before making a trip that may be difficult or impossible if the site turns out to be inaccessible.

The Nourishment Beyond the Plate program provides accessible cooking instruction, ingredients, kitchen supplies, and independent living skill-building specifically for community members with disabilities — addressing not just food access but the skills and tools needed to prepare food independently.

For community organizations looking to make their food programs more accessible, Kelly's Kitchen's resources page includes guidance on accessible signage, accessible pantry design, and best practices for serving people with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities.

The Little Free Pantry program builds accessible neighborhood-level food access points — designed from the start with disability accessibility in mind — and has placed pantries across the United States in communities that previously had no walkable food resource.

Specialized Food Assistance Programs

Beyond general food banks, several specialized programs serve specific populations with particular food access needs.

Veterans face food insecurity at a rate of approximately 11%, shaped by service-connected disabilities, transition challenges, and mental health conditions. Veterans-specific food assistance includes VA nutrition services, veteran food pantries operated by VFW and other veteran service organizations, and benefits navigation support that helps veterans access SNAP and other programs. Kelly's Kitchen's veterans food assistance programs guide provides a comprehensive overview of these resources.

Seniors are served by CSFP, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), Meals on Wheels and other home-delivered meal programs, and congregate meal sites through the Older Americans Act. Seniors with mobility limitations or social isolation face some of the most significant food access barriers of any population group.

Children and youth are served by school meal programs, summer feeding programs, after-school snack programs, and SNAP. Many communities have child-specific pantries and weekend backpack programs that send food home with children experiencing food insecurity.

Immigrant and undocumented communities may be ineligible for SNAP and other federal programs depending on immigration status, making community-based pantries and food organizations the primary resource. Many pantries serve all community members regardless of documentation status.

Rural communities face geographic access challenges that urban-model food banks cannot fully address. Mobile distributions, Little Free Pantries, community refrigerators, and farm-direct programs are particularly important in areas without reliable transportation access to fixed-location pantries.

How to Find Food Banks in Your State Right Now

The most reliable way to find current, accurate information about food banks by state is through searchable tools that are actively maintained. Here are the best options:

Kelly's Kitchen Food Security Network (kellys-kitchen.org/food-security-network-list) — Includes food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, farms, and food justice organizations nationwide, with disability accessibility information. Available in both a screen reader-accessible list format and a map-based format.

Feeding America's food bank locator — Covers Feeding America member food banks in every state. Search by zip code to find the regional food bank serving your area and connect to its network of partner pantries.

211 — Call or text 2-1-1 from any phone for immediate connection to local food assistance, SNAP enrollment help, and other crisis services. Available 24/7 in most areas, free and confidential.

State SNAP offices — State Departments of Health and Human Services or equivalent agencies administer SNAP and maintain lists of local enrollment assistance locations.

Supporting Food Security in Your Community

Food access is a community responsibility, not only a government one. If you are in a position to contribute to food security efforts in your state or region, there are meaningful ways to help at every level.

Donating to a local food bank or pantry — particularly with fresh produce, culturally specific foods, or monetary contributions that allow pantries to purchase what their community needs most — is among the highest-impact individual actions available. Volunteering with a local pantry, mobile distribution, or food justice organization provides essential operational support and builds community connection.

Advocating for SNAP access, WIC enrollment, and school meal funding at the local, state, and federal level addresses the systemic underpinnings of food insecurity in ways that pantry donations alone cannot.

If your organization is interested in starting a food bank, maintaining an existing one, or strengthening food security programming in your community, Kelly's Kitchen provides direct support, technical assistance, and resources. Kelly's Kitchen is standing by to help organizations build programs that are inclusive, accessible, and grounded in the needs of the communities they serve.

BOTTOM TLDR:

Food banks by state span a national network of regional Feeding America members, independent community pantries, mobile distributions, and food justice organizations — and the right resource for any individual depends on their location, disability, language, and specific circumstances. More than 44 million Americans experience food insecurity, with people with disabilities, rural residents, and communities of color facing the highest rates. Search Kelly's Kitchen's Food Security Network by zip code to find food banks, pantries, and accessible food programs near you — or call 211 for immediate local assistance.