definition
strict definition
food pantry
Related terms: soup kitchen
A place where people in need regularly receive food free of charge or at a very low below-market cost.
A food pantry is a place where persons in need can come regularly to receive food and nourishment free of charge, or at a very low below-market cost. In most cases these are operated by charitable or religious organizations, but can also be operated by governments.
Food pantries may be supplied through a food bank, through direct donations, or sometimes partly through their own cultivated plots.
The pantry distributes food to the people who need it. A food bank can instead supply the organizations carrying out that distribution, so the two have different positions in the supply chain.
Related definitions
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animal shelter
A place where animals are housed for their protection, sometimes also for sale, operated with or without a profit motive. -
food bank
A collection and storage facility for food intended for people in need, usually supplied onward to food pantries. -
mission house
A place providing food, clothing, or other basic necessities to people of limited means, excluding primarily residential facilities.