Who We Are and What We Do

North Country Food Bank, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was incorporated in 1983, and is located in East Grand Forks, MN. The concept was simple – capture surplus food from the USDA, food manufacturers, grocery retail outlets and farmers to feed hungry people. We can capture donations that are too large for local agencies to handle. Today, North Country distributes food to over 230 charitable organizations on an annual basis.

North Country’s service area covers 21 counties in northwest and west central Minnesota and part of Grand Forks, North Dakota. North Country is a member of Feeding America, and helps make up a sophisticated non-profit food distribution network of 201 food banks focused on domestic hunger.

Last year, North Country operated programs that distributed over 7.4 million pounds of food to people in need. Most local charitable organizations in North Country’s service area, including food shelves, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, senior community centers, after school programs, and other non-profits that serve those in need, receive at least 50% of the food they distribute from North Country. There are many agencies that receive 70%+ of their food from North Country, and some that receive 90%+ of their food from North Country.

North Country has 11 full time employees, and one of the best pounds of food distributed per employee ratios in the nation. North Country also has more than 1,000 volunteers who provided more than 12,830 hours of service last year. North Country’s expertise is procuring excess food products and quickly distributing them to our agencies. Our staff has more than 66 years of experience in the food bank industry.

North Country is on the front lines of hunger relief on a local, statewide and national level. As hunger continues to grow, North Country has established innovative programs to address the need, including: recovering surplus food from manufacturers and retailers; developing a program that provided for the acquisition and distribution of fresh produce; initiating programs that address childhood and senior hunger, and
establishing distribution methods to reach the most rural and under-served counties.

This remarkable journey has been made possible by the generosity, compassion and commitment of our many partners. Check out our Partners & Affiliations page to read more about them. North Country continues its' commitment to making a difference in the lives of the thousands of children, seniors and families who struggle with hunger. We believe in a hunger-free Minnesota.

North Country Food Bank, Inc.

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