What Manufacturers Contribute That Most People Never See

One of the biggest misconceptions about food donations is the assumption that manufacturers only donate products they cannot sell. According to Abby, reality is far more nuanced. Sometimes products are donated because production runs create additional inventory, and sometimes perfectly good first-run products are donated because a company wants to support its community.

“People often assume a donation is just product we’re trying to get rid of,” Abby said. “That’s not the case.”

For manufacturers, hunger relief represents an opportunity to ensure safe, quality food reaches people who need it rather than becoming waste. That commitment has become a significant part of Faribault Foods’ community impact efforts. Over the past 18 months alone, the company has donated more than 800,000 pounds of canned goods to local food shelves and hunger relief organizations, but the story becomes even more meaningful when viewed through the lens of one local partnership.

What “Food for Every Table” Looks Like in Practice

For the past 12 years, Faribault Foods has partnered with Channel One Regional Food Bank in southeastern Minnesota. Together, they have transformed surplus inventory and product donations into meals for families throughout the region. According to Christopher Zoellner, Food Sourcing Manager at Channel One Regional Food Bank, Faribault Foods has donated more than 1.1 million pounds of food since 2014, helping provide approximately 925,000 meals across Channel One’s service area.

“Faribault Foods has been a dedicated partner and donor to Channel One Food Bank since 2014,” Zoellner said. “Food donations from manufacturers and distributors are extremely valuable to Channel One, and Faribault Foods is no exception.”

For Zoellner, the impact extends far beyond simply receiving food. “Being able to receive shelf-stable, high-protein foods donated from a local partner who is also invested in our mission means that any family or individual seeking food assistance across our 14-county region has access to and freedom to choose the food their family needs.”

That phrase stands out: freedom to choose. In hunger relief, success is often measured in pounds distributed or meals provided. Those metrics matter, but choice matters too. When families can select foods they recognize and will actually use, the experience begins to feel less like receiving assistance and more like making everyday decisions for their households.

According to Zoellner, the impact reaches well beyond Faribault’s hometown. “Not only is this food serving the Faribault community, but the 13 other communities that Channel One works with to fight food insecurity.”

It’s a powerful example of how local partnerships create regional impact.

Why Recognition Matters

During our conversation with Abby, one theme surfaced repeatedly: people deserve dignity. That belief influences how Faribault Foods thinks about the products it brings into the hunger relief network.

“I think it’s nice when someone can go into a food bank and see something recognizable and be able to have it in their cupboard at home,” Abby said. “It feels more like they’ve been to the grocery store and not the food shelf.”

The people using food banks are consumers, too. They have their favorite products, preferred brands, family recipes, dietary restrictions, cultural traditions, and families they care deeply about feeding. Providing recognizable products helps preserve a sense of normalcy during difficult circumstances. It’s a subtle but important distinction. The goal isn’t simply to provide food, it’s to help people maintain dignity while doing so.

The Future of Hunger Relief Is Listening

As food banks continue evolving, manufacturers are paying closer attention to what communities actually want and need. Abby believes one of the most important shifts happening in hunger relief today is the focus on balancing nutrition, affordability, and consumer preference.

“I think we’re seeing more focus on nutritional value, not just quantity,” she said.

For example, products like no-salt-added beans continue to see growing demand, reflecting broader conversations around health and nutrition, but Abby believes another trend deserves equal attention: listening.

“I think we need to pay more attention to what the people using food banks actually want,” she said.

That means understanding cultural preferences, household needs, regional differences, and the products families are most likely to use. The more manufacturers, suppliers, and food banks collaborate around those conversations, the more effective hunger relief becomes.

Expanding Choice Through Cultural Relevance

One development Abby is particularly excited about involves the recent merger of Faribault Foods and Vilore Foods, a leading U.S. importer and distributor of authentic Hispanic food and beverage brands, to new parent company La Costeña USA. Historically, Faribault Foods has been known for categories such as beans, chili, soup, pasta, and vegetables. Vilore Foods brings a different but complementary portfolio, including Hispanic foods, beverages, peppers, sauces, snacks, and culturally relevant products. Together, those capabilities create opportunities to better reflect the communities food banks serve. Rather than assuming what those communities need, Abby sees an opportunity to ask questions and listen.

“Bringing Faribault Foods and Vilore Foods together gives us a much broader mix of products and categories to think about,” she explained.

For food banks serving increasingly diverse populations, culturally relevant food options can play an important role in both utilization and dignity. Families should be able to access foods that reflect their traditions, preferences, and everyday lives. This next chapter could help make that possible.