Food Banking 101

The Idaho Foodbank (IFB), established in 1984, is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with warehouses in Boise, Lewiston and Pocatello. It is the largest hunger relief organization and the largest distributor of free emergency food in Idaho.

Food distribution is made possible by generous donors, thousands of volunteers and a network of more than 200 nonprofit partners that receive food from IFB’s warehouses and distribute it directly to people in need. Our partners include food pantries, senior centers, rescue missions, soup kitchens and other feeding sites. The organization also provides direct service through programs such as the Mobile Pantry, the Backpack Program and Picnic in the Park.

The system works extremely well. Last fiscal year IFB's network distributed 8.9 million pounds of food or 6.9 million meals, a 28% increase from the previous year. In the past 26 years the foodbank’s system has provided 85 million pounds of food, more than 66 million meals, to hungry families.

Working in partnership with Feeding America – the national network of more than 200 foodbanks – and with the national, regional and local food industry, IFB’s mission is to lead the fight to end hunger in Idaho. To achieve this goal the organization works with caring and efficiency to provide food, information and support services to hungry people throughout its 75,720-square-mile/39-county service area. IFB’s ultimate goal is for hunger to cease to exist in the state of Idaho.