America's largest domestic hunger relief organisation, founded in 1979. They are a network of food banks and food-rescue programs that collects donated food, and distribute it to hungry people in America. They provide food assistance to more than 23 million people each year, eight million of whom are children. Apart from that, the America's Second Harvest Network supports local charities that operate programs like food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.

The food that is distributed by America's Second Harvest's members, is donated by growers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. It usually consists of surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away. A network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue programs provides food to charitable feeding programs. Second Harvest is active in 50 states and Puerto Rico. This amounted to almost 1.8 billion pounds of food and grocery products distributed to more than 23 million hungry Americans in 2002.

In the 1999, 2000 and 2001 editions of Forbes magazine, America’s Second Harvest was given a charitable commitment rating of 99 percent. This means that 99 percent of all donations received by America's Second Harvest go directly toward programs to feed hungry people.


Information from www.secondharvest.com