With the extensive unemployment wrought by the economic downturn, more people are turning to food pantries and soup kitchens than ever before. In addition to government programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, these small community organizations provide an important source of nutritious food during difficult times.

What many people do not know is that a lot of these organizations are part of a larger parallel food distribution network, the heart of which is the food bank. Food banks efficiently collect salvaged food, irregular but perfectly good produce, and food donations that they supply to food pantries and their other member agencies. These distribution hubs form an efficient and increasingly important role in the social safety net in the United States, as well as Canada and Western Europe. You can make a career in food banking, which is rewarding and of great service to others. Here are some of the departments in which you can specialize:

• Accounting: This department tracks all the donations, grants, and expenses related to distributing food. It helps to have strong knowledge of finance and non-profit organization regulations to join this team.
• Operations: These people order, receive, store, and distribute food to organizations and programs that serve the needy in their community. They are the lifeblood of the food bank, and they have strong knowledge of logistics and procurement, and some of them are truck and forklift drivers.
• Programs: These individuals provide nutrition education and outreach to help their low-income clients to make healthy choices on a limited budget. They assist people in finding services, such as utilities assistance, to help them make ends meet.
• Development: These people raise funds through appeals, events, food drives, and grants for purchasing and distributing food, as well as staff salaries.
• Administration: These folks assist the executives and the Board of Directors in running meetings and overseeing operations.