Food Pantry
Giving back to our neighbors and communities starts with partnering with Houston Food Bank.
Our impact on our 18-county service area is only possible through our partnerships. With partners directly supporting their communities, we’re able to uplift more neighbors to achieve stability together.
Partner Site Types
We support organizations that operate:
- Pantries — Brick-and-mortar style distributions
- Mobile-Only Sites — Distributions from Houston Food Bank’s “Food Pantry on Wheels”
- Meal Sites — On-site meal preparation (soup kitchens, shelters, and others)
Pantry Sites
Brick-and-mortar “traditional” distribution sites where those in need can receive food with a focus on fresh, nutritious food, particularly fruits and vegetables. Food may be free-choice similar to a grocery store setup or pre-packaged.
These sites are expected to be able to stock and distribute dry, refrigerated, and frozen goods.
Pantry sites set their own, consistent/set, distribution schedules. They are required to have at least 4 per month with at least 1 of them during “extended” hours (on a weekend or after 5pm on a weekday).
Mobile Sites
Sites that host (both physically and via distribution personnel) a refrigerated truck at which those in need can receive food.
Mobile sites are part of our Fresh Forward initiative, focusing on fresh produce – providing fruits and vegetables to support healthy eating. Other items may periodically be available in smaller amounts.
Mobile sites are required to distribute 4 times per month and can choose their own times and days of the week within the available mobile truck time slots. Mobile sites are on a set schedule month-to-month.
This site type may periodically be closed to new partners, based on operations availability.
Meal Sites
Sometimes called “soup kitchens”, meal sites offer prepared meals for those in need, which are prepared and served on-site.
These sites are expected to have areas that include dry, refrigerated, frozen storage. They also require additional permitting due to more extensive food-handling.
Meal sites set their own, consistent/set, distribution schedules. They are required to have at least 4 per month with at least 1 of them during “extended” hours (on a weekend or after 5pm on a weekday).
Qualifications
All prospective partners must
- Hold 501(c)(3) status (or meet faith-based criteria)
- Have an existing food-program operating for at least 6 months
- Provide food distributions at least 4 times per month
- Complete Civil Rights Training
- Complete Food Safety Training (Learn about training options)
- Use our web-based intake system at every distribution
- Follow local, state, and federal food-safety and pest-control regulations
- Maintain a food establishment permit (for brick & mortar pantries)
- Have paved surfaces and space for HFB truck access
- Be free of obstructions (fences, poles, parked cars within 10 ft. of entry)
- Preferably Not be in strip malls, unpaved lots, or apartment complexes (case-by-case)
Must be in place at the time of application:
- Hold 501(c)(3) status (or meet other tax-exempt status such as the IRS faith-based criteria)
- Not located within an area already saturated with HFB partners (Check our Find Food Map here to determine which partners are already in your area)
- Space for Houston Food Bank truck access (free of obstructions, ex: fences, poles, parked cars within 10 ft. of entry)
- Individual identified to be a primary contact between your organization and Houston Food Bank
Must be willing to:
- Provide food distributions at least 4 times per month that are open to the public (e.: cannot be closed to a specific population or population type)
- Use our web-based intake system at every distribution (provided for free to partners)
- Follow local, state, and federal food-safety and pest-control regulations (if already operating a pantry site, these must be in place already at time of application)
Must be completed before partnered pantry operations begin:
- Complete Civil Rights Training
- Complete Food Safety Training (Learn about training options)
- Maintain a food establishment permit (for brick & mortar pantries)
- Have paved surfaces which will be accessed by HFB delivery trucks
- Should drive-up pick-up be utilized at the site, wifi that reaches all outdoor intake locations
Preferred:
- Have an existing food-program operating for at least 6 months (if in place, any needed permits should already be in place and active)
- Not be in strip malls, unpaved lots, or apartment complexes (case-by-case)
Process
- Review qualifications. Check our Find Food Map to ensure your proposed pantry location is not in an area which is already saturated with Houston Food Bank partners.
- Should your site be in an area where there are no or few existing partners and other qualifications are met, register for an upcoming Prospective Partner Interest Meeting. Upcoming dates are typically quarterly and will be listed below as they are scheduled. This is mandatory for all prospective partners – new or returning.
- Fill out a partnership application. The link will be sent to those that are in attendance for the Prospective Partner Interest Meeting.
- Applications are reviewed and, based on our partner network capacity and a qualification review, partners will receive communication on their application status. Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis, taking place each month that follows a Prospective Partner Interest Meeting.
Upcoming Prospective Partner Interest Meetings:
Meetings are always held at our main location, 535 Portwall St.
August 14th at 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
