Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana was incorporated in 1983 as a charitable organization to provide free, immediate food assistance to those in need in northeast Indiana. Community Harvest's mission is to alleviate hunger through the full use of donated food and other resources, and to increase public awareness of and involvement in solutions to hunger. In pursuit of this mission, Community Harvest solicits surplus food and grocery donations from the food industry, regional farmers, and through community food drives. The food is sorted, inspected for quality, and readied for distribution to the hungry via a member agency network of nearly 400 nonprofit pantries, churches, and social service agencies. These agencies include such vital services as emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, rehabilitation centers, youth and older adult programs.