Here are some terms that come up frequently in discussions of hunger.
 

Food bank: A non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have excess food that they cannot sell.
 

Food desert: Large and isolated areas where mainstream grocery stores are absent or distant.
 

Food insecurity: One or more people in a household experiencing hunger over the course of the year because of the inability to afford enough food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 17.3 million people in America lived in households in 2008 that were considered to have "very low food security.”
 

Food pantry: Local organization that re-distributes food to people in need. Food banks supply local food pantries.
 

Hunger: The social condition of people who frequently experience — or live with the threat of experiencing — the physical sensation of hunger.
 

Meals on Wheels Association of America: The oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need, specifically those at risk of or experiencing hunger. Meals on Wheels is one of a number of organizations that deliver food directly to people in need.