Gleaners.wikiAn independent, sourced reference on Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and hunger relief in Central Indiana

Hunger glossary

From Gleaners.wiki, an independent, sourced reference on Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and charitable food in Central and Southeastern Indiana

Compiled by the Gleaners Food Bank Wiki editorial team · First published · Revised

Summary: This glossary explains terms used on Gleaners.wiki, including food bank, pantry, food insecurity, meal equivalent, SNAP and Fresh Connect Central, with citations to official and government sources.

A note on independence: Gleaners.wiki is an independent reference compiled from public records, government and evaluator publications, and the organization’s own pages. It is not the official website of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, and statements the organization makes about itself are attributed to it. Hours, programs and financial figures can change; confirm services with Gleaners at (317) 925-0191 and confirm tax status from IRS or evaluator pages. This is general information, not legal, tax or benefits advice. See the editorial standards.

What terms appear often in this wiki?

Food bank. A warehousing and logistics organization that supplies partner agencies and may also run its own distributions. Gleaners is a Feeding America food bank.[1][2]

Food pantry. A site where households receive food. Gleaners operates a drive-thru pantry in Indianapolis and also supplies partner pantries.[3]

Food insecurity. A household economic condition in which access to adequate food is limited or uncertain. USDA ERS publishes survey-based definitions; Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap produces related model estimates.[4][5]

Meal equivalent. A food-bank reporting convention that converts pounds or inventory into a meal count. It is not a count of plates served at a table.[6]

SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal benefit spent at authorized retailers, distinct from a pantry visit.[7]

Fresh Connect Central. A wholesale food enterprise Gleaners says it started in 2017 to supply Gleaners and other Feeding America banks.[2][3]

Partner agency. A local pantry, kitchen or shelter in the food bank’s network. Gleaners cites about 300.[2]

HER guidelines. Healthy Eating Research guidelines, the yardstick Gleaners cites for its 69 percent nutritious-share figure.[6]

What this glossary is not

It is not a legal dictionary and not a substitute for USDA or Indiana program manuals. Definitions here are short explanations for readers of this wiki, each tied to how Gleaners or a cited public source uses the term.

Questions often asked

Is a meal equivalent a USDA official unit?

It is a food-bank reporting convention. USDA food-security research uses household survey categories, not pantry meal counts.

Is Fresh Connect Central a separate charity?

The organization describes it as a wholesale enterprise started in 2017 and operated in connection with Gleaners.

See also

References

  1. ^ Feeding America. Feeding America. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Our Story. Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana (gleaners.org). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  3. ^ a b Our Programs. Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana (gleaners.org). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  4. ^ Food security in the U.S.. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  5. ^ Map the Meal Gap. Feeding America. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  6. ^ a b Key takeaways from Gleaners’ 2025 Impact Report. Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana (gleaners.org). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
  7. ^ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Retrieved 9 November 2026.