Food At First
Food at First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Ames, Iowa, providing free daily hot meals and fresh groceries to anyone facing food insecurity, with no questions asked. Founded in 2003, it operates entirely on donations and volunteers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersAmes, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Food At First does
Food at First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Ames, Iowa, that provides free daily hot meals and fresh groceries to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, with no questions asked, no forms, and no qualification requirements. Founded in March 2003 as a Lenten outreach program of First United Methodist Church, the organization has grown from a single weekly meal into a year-round operation serving the community seven days per week, 365 days per year. All services are delivered from a single facility — the lower level of First Christian Church at 611 Clark Avenue — and the only delivery service offered is for the annual community Thanksgiving meal. The mission explicitly couples hunger relief with food waste reduction, framing the work as both a social service and an environmental intervention against the roughly 40% of the U.S. food supply that goes to waste.
The organization runs three core programs supported by an extensive food recovery operation. The Free Meals Program serves hot, volunteer-prepared meals every day. The Free Market distributes fresh perishable groceries three times weekly (Monday and Thursday evenings, Saturday morning). The Gleaning Program recovers surplus food from a concentrated set of major grocers (Walmart, Sam's Club, Hy-Vee, Aldi, Target), restaurant partners (Panera, Chick-fil-A), Iowa State University Dining, and local farmers. Two annual events extend the program: a community-wide Thanksgiving meal (950 served in 2024, with dine-in, carry-out, and delivery) and the Pass Along Party holiday gift event hosted at Collegiate United Methodist Church. Technology infrastructure is minimal — the foodatfirst.com website plus Better Impact volunteer management software for scheduling and time-tracking — and there is no mobile app, API, or proprietary platform. The organization has no AI/ML capabilities evidenced in the data.
Food at First operates as a donation-funded, volunteer-powered community model with no commercial revenue. The paid staff of five is led by Executive Director Patty Yoder, supported by a Development & Communications Director, Volunteer Coordinator, Assistant to the Director, and Dining Room Manager, and is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors. Revenue streams are individual donations, corporate and foundation grants (including the 2022 Ames Rotary Community Grant and Walmart Community Grant), partner church contributions (St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Cecelia, First United Methodist, First Christian), in-kind food donations, and in-kind volunteer labor. An endowment fund is managed by the Story County Community Foundation to support long-term financial stability. Marketing is conducted through the website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter under @pattyfoodatfirstcom), monthly email newsletters, community events, and partner church referrals, with no paid acquisition channels.
Food At First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food At First
- Legal name
- Food at First
- Website
- https://foodatfirst.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Food at First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Ames, Iowa, providing free daily hot meals and fresh groceries to anyone facing food insecurity, with no questions asked. Founded in 2003, it operates entirely on donations and volunteers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food At First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hunger Relief and Food Assistance Services
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)
Keywords
Where Food At First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ames
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Food At First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring monetary donations from individuals. Food at First is an independent nonprofit operating entirely on donations without regular outside funding.
- Corporate/Foundation Grants: Grants from organizations such as Ames Rotary 2022 Community Grant and Walmart Community Grant. Endowment fund managed by Story County Community Foundation.
- Church/Partner Contributions: Financial contributions and volunteering from partner churches like St. Thomas Aquinas Church since 2004 and other faith-based organizations.
- Food Donations (In-Kind): Surplus food recovered from grocers (Walmart, Sam's Club, Hy-Vee, Aldi, Target), restaurants (Panera, Chick-fil-A), ISU Dining, and local farmers. No cost for food acquisition.
- Volunteer Hours (In-Kind): Volunteers contribute thousands of hours for food prep, serving, cleanup, gleaning, and Free Market operations. Head Chef role led entirely by volunteers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Food At First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food at First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free daily hot meals seven days a week and distributes fresh groceries through its Free Market three times per week to anyone facing hunger in Ames, Iowa. All services are provided at no cost, with no questions asked and no qualifications required. The organization supports these programs through a gleaning operation that recovers surplus food from local grocers, restaurants, and farmers, redirecting would-be food waste to community members in need.
Product overview
Food at First operates as a single unified nonprofit service offering free meals and groceries to those facing food insecurity. The organization provides two core programs: the Free Meals Program serving hot daily meals, and the Free Market distributing fresh groceries. Supporting these is the Gleaning Program for food recovery. The organization also runs special community events including the annual Thanksgiving Meal and Pass Along Party holiday gift program. All services are provided at no cost with no requirements, funded through donations and volunteer efforts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Free Meals Program Hot, nutritious meals served free of charge every day of the year (including holidays) to anyone in need in the Ames community, with no questions asked and no qualifications required. All meals are prepared by volunteers using donated and rescued food, served Monday-Friday and Sunday at 5:45-6:15 pm and Saturday at 11:30 am-12:15 pm.
- Free Market A free perishable food pantry open three times weekly (Monday 4:30-5:30 pm, Thursday 4:30-5:30 pm, Saturday 10:00 am-11:00 am), distributing thousands of pounds of fresh, high-quality groceries to community members with no forms, requirements, or questions asked.
- Gleaning Program
- Community-wide Thanksgiving Meal Annual Thanksgiving meal event serving hundreds of community members with dine-in, carry-out, and delivery options, staffed by volunteers. The 2024 event served 950 meals including 437 deliveries, making it the only day Food at First offers delivery service.
- Pass Along Party Annual Christmas gift-giving event where families in need can shop for gently used or new donated items including toys, household goods, and gifts at no cost.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves free meals 7 days per week, 365 days per year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Food At First
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Food At First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Food At First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, founding and minor.
- First Christian ChurchcoreCurrent host location since 2015. Food at First operates from the lower level (West entrance) of First Christian Church at 611 Clark Ave, Ames.
- St. Cecelia ChurchcorePartnership added Tuesday meal program in December 2004, expanding the program from seasonal to year-round effort.
- St. Thomas Aquinas ChurchmajorSince 2004, church members have been essential to Food at First through financial contributions and volunteering. Volunteers help with gleaning, day-to-day tasks, and fill volunteer slots for Free Market and Daily Meals programs.
- First United Methodist Church (FUMC)foundingFounding church where Food at First began in March 2003 as a Lenten outreach program. Original venue for the Thursday Free Meal program.
- WalmartmajorMajor food donor providing surplus food through gleaning program. Also provided a community grant for purchasing grocery carts.
- Sam's ClubmajorFood donor providing surplus food for recovery and redistribution through Food at First's gleaning program.
- Hy-VeemajorRegional grocery chain donor providing surplus food for gleaning program.
- AldimajorGrocery donor providing surplus food through the gleaning program.
- TargetmajorRetail donor providing surplus food items through gleaning.
- PaneramajorRestaurant partner donating surplus food for recovery and redistribution.
- Chick-fil-AmajorRestaurant partner donating surplus food through gleaning program.
- ISU DiningmajorIowa State University dining services provides surplus food for gleaning program.
- Local FarmersminorSeasonal fresh produce donations from local farmers in the Ames area.
- Collegiate United Methodist Church (CUMC)minorHost venue for the annual Pass Along Party holiday gift event, where families can shop for gently used or new donated items.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Food At First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Feeding America: National network of food banks serving all 50 states including Iowa affiliates. Food at First's gleaning and Free Market functions are an analogous service line, but Feeding America operates at vastly greater scale through member food banks and direct distribution.
Regional players
- Meals from the Heartland: Iowa-based hunger-relief nonprofit (headquartered in West Des Moines) that mobilizes volunteers to package meals and distributes through partner agencies. Comparable to Food at First's volunteer-powered meal production model and food distribution to those facing food insecurity.
- Food Bank of Iowa: Regional food bank serving Iowa including the Ames area. Operates as a larger, centralized hunger-relief nonprofit that sources and distributes food to partner pantries and meal programs—overlapping with Food at First's gleaning and Free Market functions but at much greater scale across the state.
Direct peers
- Salvation Army of Ames: Operates a local meal program serving the Ames community with free or low-cost food assistance. Most directly comparable as a faith-affiliated community meal provider in the same geography, serving overlapping beneficiary populations.
- St. Vincent de Paul of Ames: Faith-based nonprofit providing direct assistance including food, household goods, and emergency aid in communities across the US. Comparable to Food at First as a parish-rooted volunteer-powered organization offering dignified no-barrier food assistance.
- So Others Might Eat (SOME): Washington DC-based nonprofit providing free meals, food pantries, and supportive services to individuals facing hunger and poverty. Highly comparable operating model: no-questions-asked free daily meals plus a food pantry, with a gleaning/recovery component.
- MICA (Mid-Iowa Community Action): Community action agency serving Story County with food pantries, meal programs, and emergency assistance. Comparable as a direct food-security service provider in the same geography with similar target population and volunteer-supported model.
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Des Moines: Provides emergency food assistance, meal programs, and pantry services across central Iowa including Story County. Comparable as a faith-rooted nonprofit offering free community meals and food distribution with similar volunteer and donor-dependence model.
Emerging players
- Community FoodBank of New Jersey: Regional food bank operating food pantries and meal programs with significant gleaning/recovery and volunteer-driven distribution infrastructure. Comparable service mix (gleaning, free market-style distribution, free meals) to Food at First at much larger scale, useful as a scaling benchmark.
Others
- Habitat for Humanity of Story County: Local nonprofit in Ames serving similar donor and volunteer base in Story County. Not a direct food service peer but comparable as a community-rooted, faith-affiliated, volunteer-driven nonprofit with overlapping fundraising channels and partner networks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Food At First social profiles
Digital presenceFood At First compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Food At First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food At First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Food At First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food At First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Food At First
What does Food At First do?
Food at First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free daily hot meals seven days a week and distributes fresh groceries through its Free Market three times per week to anyone facing hunger in Ames, Iowa. All services are provided at no cost, with no questions asked and no qualifications required. The organization supports these programs through a gleaning operation that recovers surplus food from local grocers, restaurants, and farmers, redirecting would-be food waste to community members in need.
Is Food At First a public or private company?
Food At First is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Food At First founded?
Food At First was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Food At First based?
Food At First is headquartered in Ames, United States, in the North America region.
How does Food At First make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate/Foundation Grants, church/Partner Contributions, food Donations (In-Kind) and volunteer Hours (In-Kind).
Who are Food At First's main competitors?
Feeding America is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Meals from the Heartland and Food Bank of Iowa. Direct peers are Salvation Army of Ames, St. Vincent de Paul of Ames, So Others Might Eat (SOME), MICA (Mid-Iowa Community Action) and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Des Moines. Community FoodBank of New Jersey is listed as an emerging player. Habitat for Humanity of Story County is listed as an others.
Does Food At First have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food At First.
What industry is Food At First in?
Food At First's product category is Hunger Relief and Food Assistance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAA, Food Assistance & Food Banks, with a secondary code of BPAGAAAD, Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding). Its NAICS code is 62421.