Mission/History - The New Hampshire Food Bank

Our Mission

The Mission of the New Hampshire Food Bank is to feed hungry people by soliciting and effectively distributing grocery products and perishable foods, and offering innovative programs through a statewide network of approved agencies; by advocating for systemic change; and by educating the public about the nature of, and solutions to, problems of hunger in New Hampshire.

What We Do

The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, serves as the only food bank in the state, working to provide nutritious food and resources to the hundreds of thousands of New Hampshire residents that are food insecure. The Food Bank supplies millions of pounds of food annually to more than 400 partner agencies, including food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, children’s programs, senior centers and more. In turn, these agencies provide hunger relief to those suffering from food insecurity throughout the state.

History

The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, opened its doors on World Food Day in 1984 and in that year distributed 250,000 pounds of food to feed the hungry throughout the state. The Food Bank had 600 square feet of space in a garage.

As the only food bank in the state, the New Hampshire Food Bank is a vital distributor and supplier to the hunger relief agencies that serve meals and provide groceries to people experiencing the negative impacts of not having enough to eat. On average these agencies receive 50% of their food from the NH Food Bank.

In August of 2010, the Food Bank moved into a newly renovated building with 60,000 square feet. We have seen many efficiencies in our new home, including improved work flow and the ability to stretch donor dollars when purchasing food due to more storage/capacity.

In 2021, the NH Food Bank distributed more than 17 million pounds of non-perishable food items, fresh produce, and meats to more than 400 non-profit food agencies in all corners of NH.