Similar organizations (churches, nonprofits, etc.) don't generally need a permit if they're not selling the food, when the target population aren't homeless people. For example, a Boy Scout group can have a 4th of July picnic in a public park, usually without a permit needed, as can your church or your bowling league or whatever. Traditionally there haven't been any laws at all about it. Recently, laws have been passed by some municipalities specifically because they considered churches and charities feeding homeless people in public parks to be a problem, not because of general concerns over food safety.

It depends on your definition of "need".

If you are giving food to other people (be it in a grocery store, in a restaurant, or giving it away) it's reasonable to expect that you can give a reasonable guarantee that that food is not spoiled.

You don't need a permit for that. A permit is a piece of paper signed by someone who will never see this food.

You also need a permit to open a store of any kind, which doesn't mean the guy who signs it will ever walk into it.