Community Harvest Food Bank

What Community Harvest Food Bank does

Community Harvest Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) regional food bank founded in 1983 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in response to the closure of the International Harvester plant, and incorporated as a charitable organization in 1984. It operates as a member of the Feeding America network and Feeding Indiana's Hungry, serving as the regional food bank for nine northeast Indiana counties — Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley — distributing approximately 13.8 million pounds of food annually to nearly 90,000 unique individuals and reaching roughly 99,000 people per year through direct programs and partner agencies. The organization runs a portfolio of targeted programs: Farm Wagon mobile pantry (refrigerated trucks making 86+ stops per month across the service area), Saturday Helping Hands drive-through distribution, Community Cupboard walk-in pantry, SeniorPak for low-income and homebound seniors, Kids BackPack and TeenPak for weekend childhood meals, and Hope for Heroes for Veterans and military families.

The core technology and infrastructure footprint centers on logistics rather than software: a 10-truck fleet covering 35,000 miles per year, two warehouse facilities including the Jane Avery Distribution Center at 999 East Tillman Road and a secondary facility on North Coliseum Blvd housing USDA commodities and a commercial kitchen, and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Produce Preservation Center — the first regional food bank in the United States to deploy blanch, chill, and freeze capability, enabling year-round distribution of preserved fresh produce. Distribution is layered through a network of nearly 400 nonprofit member agencies, with last-mile reach extended by 8,500+ volunteers contributing over 90,000 hours annually, equivalent to 40+ full-time employees.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack rather than commercial revenue: monetary donations (at a stated efficiency of $1 = 4 meals provided), in-kind food donations from individuals, businesses, farms, and retail partners (Walmart, Kroger, Meijer, Target), foundation and corporate grants (Foellinger, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Kraft Heinz, James R. Shields, Schneider, and others), USDA TEFAP government commodities, and revenue from retail giving programs (Kroger Community Rewards, Walmart sparkgood, Meijer Simply Give). The organization charges recipients nothing for food assistance, and its scale is sustained by volunteer labor, institutional grant cultivation, and an extensive agency partnership network rather than fee-for-service revenue.

Name

Community Harvest Food Bank

Legal name

Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc.

Website

https://communityharvest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Harvest Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) regional food bank founded in 1983 serving nine counties in northeast Indiana, distributing roughly 13.8 million pounds of food annually through mobile pantries, partner agencies, and targeted programs for children, seniors, and veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• Mobile food pantry
• Produce preservation
• Food rescue distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Monetary Donations: Individual and corporate financial contributions. Every $1 donated provides 4 meals. Additional matching funds from partners like First Merchants Bank and NiSource Foundation.
2. Food Donations: Accepts shelf stable foods, fresh produce, and frozen foods from individuals, businesses, farms, and retail partners. Provides gift-in-kind receipts.
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Receives grants from foundations and corporate partners including Kraft Heinz, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Foellinger Foundation, United Way, and others to support specific programs.
4. USDA Commodities: Receives and distributes USDA TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) commodities provided by the government.
5. Food Rescue from Retail Partners: Partners with Walmart, Kroger, Meijer, Target, and local farms receive donated food that would otherwise go to waste.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community Harvest Food Bank is a regional nonprofit food bank that collects, preserves, stores, and distributes donated and rescued food to food-insecure individuals, families, seniors, children, and veterans across nine counties in northeast Indiana. It operates a network of distribution programs including mobile pantries, walk-in pantries, home delivery for seniors, and weekend meal programs for children, supported by a produce preservation facility and a network of nearly 400 nonprofit partner agencies.

Product overview

Community Harvest Food Bank operates as a regional food bank serving northeast Indiana with a portfolio of hunger relief programs and distribution services. The core programs include the Farm Wagon mobile pantry, SeniorPak for seniors, Kids BackPack/TeenPak for children, Community Cupboard pantry, Hope for Heroes for veterans, and Saturday Helping Hands distributions. The organization also offers volunteer programs like Bags for Seniors and food drive hosting tools, plus retail partnerships through Kroger Community Rewards and Walmart sparkgood. In 2015, they opened the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Produce Preservation Center, the first blanch, chill, and freeze facility at a regional food bank in the U.S., enabling year-round distribution of preserved produce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Farm Wagon: Mobile pantry program that distributes fresh produce, dairy, and other food items to low-income rural and urban areas.
• SeniorPak
• Kids BackPack
• TeenPak
• Community Cupboard
• Hope For Heroes
• Saturday Helping Hands

Products and services

• Farm Wagon Mobile Pantry A mobile pantry program distributing fresh produce, dairy, and other food items to low-income rural and urban areas where people lack affordable access to fresh foods. Operates via refrigerated trucks making approximately 86 stops per month across nine counties. Includes TEFAP government commodities distribution.
• SeniorPak A food assistance program for seniors age 60+ on low fixed incomes, with both walk-in pantry and homebound delivery components. Provides monthly groceries including fresh produce, vegetables, dairy, protein, and shelf-stable items to homebound seniors who cannot visit a food pantry.
• Kids BackPack / TeenPak Weekend meal programs for food-insecure children and teens referred by teachers and guidance staff. Provides nutritious weekend food for students who may not have adequate food access outside of school meal programs.
• Community Cupboard Walk-in food pantry located at the 999 East Tillman Road main facility, providing groceries to individuals and families in need during regular Monday-Friday business hours.
• Hope for Heroes A food assistance program specifically for Veterans and military families, allowing them to use the food pantry once a month. Provides 100 pounds of food per visit plus additional fruits, vegetables, and bread. Veterans may bring family members to receive assistance.
• Saturday Helping Hands A weekly Saturday drive-through food distribution program that distributes pre-packed bags of food including produce, dairy, sandwich bread, and other available items to an average of 750 families per week. Open to anyone in need; no ID required.
• Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Produce Preservation Center A blanch, chill, and freeze produce preservation facility that allows Community Harvest to preserve seasonal harvests for year-round distribution of fresh produce to hungry families. First such facility at a regional food bank in the United States.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 meal per $1 donated
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WalmartcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor retail food donation partner. Donates surplus food to Community Harvest. Also partner through Walmart sparkgood program for customer donations.
• KrogercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor retail food donation partner and Kroger Community Rewards program. Donates surplus food and enables customer donations through Shopper's Card linkage.
• MeijercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSimply Give campaign partner. Customers purchase specially marked donation cards at checkout that convert to Meijer Food-Only Gift Cards donated to Community Harvest.
• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational member of Feeding America network. Receives support, food sourcing, and advocacy through network membership. One of 200 member food banks nationally.
• Feeding Indiana's HungrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional member of Indiana's State Association of Food Banks, one of 11 regional members.
• TargetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail partner that donates surplus food to Community Harvest.
• Syngenta SeedsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated 716 pounds of fresh corn to Community Harvest.
• Global FoodBanking NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization visit in 2019 to learn about CHFB programs and practices to share information globally.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Midwest Food Bank: Multi-state nonprofit food bank operating distribution centers across the Midwest including Indiana. Comparable as a peer in food rescue from retail partners, volunteer-driven operations, and disaster-relief food distribution.
• St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance: Arizona-based Feeding America member food bank and one of the largest in the U.S. Comparable as a regional food bank operating mobile pantries, partner agency networks, and large-scale distribution infrastructure in a multi-county service area.
• Food Bank of Northern Indiana: Regional Feeding America food bank serving northern Indiana counties from South Bend. Directly comparable as a peer Indiana-based regional food bank operating mobile pantries, partner agency networks, and USDA TEFAP distribution in an overlapping geographic and demographic catchment.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Washington D.C.-area Feeding America food bank distributing tens of millions of pounds annually through partner agencies and direct distribution. Comparable mission, program portfolio, and reliance on retail food rescue and foundation grants.
• Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana: Indianapolis-based regional Feeding America food bank distributing tens of millions of pounds annually. Closely comparable in mission, governance structure, and program portfolio (mobile pantries, partner agencies, Kids BackPack-style programs) and one of Community Harvest's primary Feeding Indiana's Hungry peers.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana: Muncie-based regional food bank serving east-central Indiana. Comparable regional footprint, partner agency model, and reliance on USDA commodities and Feeding America network support, providing a like-for-like benchmark for northeast Indiana operations.

Others

• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National campaign addressing childhood hunger through school and community meal programs. Comparable as a funder and program partner for Kids BackPack/TeenPak-style initiatives and as a thought leader shaping child hunger policy and grant flows.
• Feeding Indiana's Hungry: State association of Indiana's 11 regional food banks, of which Community Harvest is a member. Functions as an industry body and grant conduit, providing peer coordination, advocacy, and shared funding channels directly relevant to Community Harvest's operations.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella network of 200 regional food banks. Community Harvest is a member; Feeding America provides food sourcing, advocacy, and grant administration. Comparable as the broad incumbent that shapes member food bank operations, funding access, and strategic direction.
• Houston Food Bank: One of the largest food banks in the U.S., serving southeast Texas through extensive mobile distribution and partner agency networks. Comparable operating model and program structure at significantly greater scale, illustrating the size curve for regional food banks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/comharvest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDzJe_mVDS-LBePUd8HL6kg
• Facebookfacebook.com/communityharvestfoodbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chfbnein
• Instagraminstagram.com/communityharvestfoodbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Harvest Food Bank