This type of program provides nutritious snacks and meals to low-income children participating in after-school programs.  See Kids Cafe.

The national network of food banks and food rescue organizations and the major public advocate for hunger relief in the United States.  America's Second Harvest establishes and develops partnerships with major growers, processors, retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and restaurants to encourage the donation of surplus food.  A2H then directs these donations to member organizations like Long Island Cares in order to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the network hunger relief efforts.  A2H has the prestige and influence needed to further the cause of hunger relief in America.

This program group provides healthy meals and snacks to children and adults (elderly people unable to care for themselves) in day care settings.  Many of Long Island Cares member agencies operate programs of this type.

The CSFP works to improve the health of low-income children, mothers and elderly people by supplementing their diets with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity foods.  USDA administers CSFP at the federal level, providing food and administrative funds to state, though not all states participate.  New York does participate; see TEFAP.

These programs specifically target at-risk elderly people and include home-delivered meals and congregate meals programs which provide meals at central facilities in group settings.  Food relief organizations may be a primary source for the former, while the latter is likely to rely on the resources of a food bank like Long Island Cares.

Emergency food programs (EFP's) distribute donated food items to hungry people through avenues such as shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries.  Such programs typically are run by private, nonprofit community organizations.  An EFP is differentiated from other programs where food is distributed, but not on an emergency basis, such as day care centers and group homes.

A charitable organization that solicits, receives, inventories, stores and distributes food and grocery products from various sources.  A food bank may purchase food from funds provided by government agencies or charitable grants, or it may receive food donated by manufacturers, retailers, or individuals.  The food bank is responsible for ensuring that all food and grocery products that it receives and distributes comply with industry and regulatory standards.  These products are distributed to charitable human service agencies, which provide the products directly to clients.

A nonprofit organization (typically small in size), such as religious institutions or social service agencies, that receives donated food items and distributes them to hungry people for preparation at home.  By contrast, a soup kitchen prepares and serves meals to their clients.

As differentiated from a food bank that handles warehoused foods and grocery products, a food rescue organization specializes in soliciting donations of leftover perishable food from restaurants, catering halls, and the like, and delivering this food immediately to emergency food programs.  Unlike food banks which must deal with the logistic management of bulk inventories, a food rescue organization is likely to consist of a dedicated corps of volunteers who use their own vehicles to make food pick ups and deliveries in the same day.

The federal Food Stamp Program serves as the first line of defense against hunger.  It enables low-income families to buy nutritious food with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.  Food stamp recipients are able to buy eligible food items in authorized retail food stores.  The program is the cornerstone of the federal food assistance programs and provides crucial support to low-income households and those making the transition from welfare to work.  It has been criticized, however, for being under funded, inadequate in terms of benefits offered, and ineffective in reaching and including all of the low-income people at risk of hunger.  Hunger relief organizations like Long Island Cares help to make up the shortfall.

Better known by its acronym than its official title of Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program, HPNAP is administered by the New York State Department of Health and is dedicated to improving the health and nutrition status of people in need of food assistance in New York State.  They do so by providing funding and other support to enhance the accessibility and availability of safe and nutritious food and food-related resources and by providing comprehensive nutrition and health education programs.  HPNAP works in partnership with food banks operating in New York State.

A general term that can be applied to any charitable organization whose mission involves dealing with the immediate effects and underlying causes of hunger.  America's Second Harvest, Long Island Cares, and member agencies like food pantries and soup kitchens can all be termed hunger relief organizations.

Kids Cafe is an after-school and summer meal program that provides nutritious snacks and meals to children ages 5-18 who are at risk for hunger.  Kids Cafe programs often supplement food assistance with nutrition education activities as well as homework help, mentoring, and recreational opportunities.

These programs are federally assisted meal programs operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions.  They provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals to children each school day.

A nonprofit organization (typically small in size), such as religious institutions or social service agencies, that receives donated food items and provides prepared meals served in a local agency kitchen for hungry people.  By contrast, a food pantry does not serve prepared meals.

The SFSP provides reimbursements to schools, local government agencies and community-based organizations for meals and snacks served to children during the summer months, when school is out and lunches are not provided to hungry school-age students.  Geared toward low-income children, the SFSP is the single largest federal resource available for local sponsors who want to combine a feeding program with a summer activity program.

Another program that is much better known as an acronym, WIC serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.  WIC is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), a sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Under TEFAP, commodity foods are made available by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to States.  States provide the food to local agencies that they have selected, usually food banks, which in turn, distribute the food to soup kitchens and food pantries that directly serve the public.  Each state sets criteria for determining what households are eligible to receive food for home consumption.  Income standards may, at the state’s discretion, be met through participation in other existing federal, state, or local food, health, or welfare programs for which eligibility is based on income.