What Should I Donate to My Local Food Bank?
So you would like to get involved with your local food bank, but aren’t quite sure how?
No worries, we’ve compiled a list of items that are always needed at food banks, as well as some examples of items you should avoid donating.
If you are ever in any doubt about what you can or can’t donate, go ahead and get in touch with your local food bank and ask them what they need!
What items do food banks need the most?
When you’re thinking of items that would be good for donation, just take a look inside your own pantry to get some inspiration!
When money gets tight, it can be hard for families to keep their pantries stocked, so shelf-stable or non-perishable items are always in high demand!
Here are some items that food banks are always in need of:
Canned goods
Canned fruit and vegetables, chili, pork n’ beans, spaghetti o’s, canned meat (tuna, salmon, chicken, pork and beef)
Packaged dinners
Things like macaroni and cheese, hamburger helper, noodles and rice packages, Manwich, etc.) and other easy-to-prepare, shelf-stable foods are great!
Pasta
Lots of varieties of pasta are great, as this is a shelf-stable pantry staple that can make part of a nutritious meal
Rice
Both brown and white rice, as well as other grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, or couscous, provide essential fiber and protein
Beans
Canned beans and dried beans are great staples that are always in high demand!
Soups
Soups make an easy, nutritious meal for families, so all varieties are welcome!
Peanut butter and other spreads
Condiments like ketchup and mustard
Crackers
Cereal
From kid’s cereals to Grape Nuts and Bran Flakes, cereal is a great donation item to any food bank!
Bottled juices
Oatmeal
Instant potatoes
Tomato sauces and other pasta sauces
Bottled juices
Coffee (both instant and ground)
Tea
Sugar
Flour
Surprise items that Haven House accepts:
We can always accept feminine hygiene products and diapers!
Did you know that at Haven House, we also accept professionally processed game meat, eggs, and garden veggies?
Here are some things to avoid donating to your local food bank:
As generous as it is to donate, and as much as we all hate to see food go to waste, some items are not suitable for donation.
Perishable foods
Expired items
Items with broken or questionable seals
All food should be in original, unopened packaging.
A good rule of thumb here is that if you wouldn’t eat it or serve it to your family, please don’t donate it.
Additionally, here are some other items that are not typically accepted unless your community food bank has stated otherwise.
Things that need refrigerated or that will spoil quickly-like yogurt etc.
Things that require refrigeration obviously run the risk of spoiling quickly, and need to be processed and stored right away. Not every facility has the fridge and freezer space to accommodate these kinds of donations, so always make sure you check with your community food bank to make sure they have the capacity to accept similar items!
Food banks typically have resources and partner with local grocery stores to get things like milk, eggs, and dairy products, so they will be able to supplement people’s boxes with these things.
Leftovers
Homemade baked goods
Additionally, you can always ask your food bank if they accept items like diapers, baby formula, feminine products, toothbrushes, and can openers. These are items that are needed, but not covered by SNAP.
Where can I donate?
You can drop off donations directly to your local food bank!
Make sure that you try and drop off your donations during business hours (view Haven House’s hours of operation here) if you can. If not, check with the food bank to see if they have a dropbox or after-hours donation location. That way you don’t risk your items sitting out in the elements.
Haven House has a donation box on the north side of the building for after-hours donations. During our open hours, come on in and drop off your items! Our volunteers are happy to help you unload!
Can I host a Food Drive?
Absolutely! Hosting a food drive is a great way to maximize the amount of food to be donated to your local food bank!
Here are a few things to consider before hosting a food drive:
Permission
It’s always a good idea to check with the grocery stores in your neighborhood to make sure you are allowed to collect donations
Check the hours and days that they would prefer you host your food drive
Coordinating drop-off times with the food bank
They will have to have their volunteers weigh, sort, and store all of these great donations, so it’s always a considerate idea to call ahead and let them know you are planning to host a food drive and when you will be dropping off the food.
Best practices for food drives.
Always be kind and courteous when asking for donations.
People are normally happy to give, and happy to hear about your group or your group’s goal, but nobody likes to be bombarded as they walk into the grocery store. Consider having posters or flyers to hand out as people are headed into the store. Even a short list of items that they could donate would be a helpful thing for them to have as they shop. It not only helps them decide what to pick out, but it helps increase the chances that people will remember to grab a few items to donate while they are shopping. Make sure your list has items that your food bank really needs, and things to avoid. That way you will help ensure that no donations go to waste.
Make sure you give a big thank you to everyone who donates!
Your donations mean so much to your neighbors, and they go a long way towards putting an end to food insecurity!
And if you are ever in need of Haven House’s services, we are always here to help!
