So, you’re ready to donate food to your local food bank. That’s great! Whether you’re starting a food drive or just planning to grab a few extra items for donation while out grocery shopping, there are a couple of things you should know about what you can (and should) donate and what food banks won’t accept.
What food you CAN donate to your local food bank:
This part is pretty easy. Food banks accept dry and canned food donations. What does that mean? Basically, any food that is “shelf-stable” or nonperishable – you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t go bad. And remember, only donate food that hasn’t reached its “sell-by” date yet. Specifically, food banks often need items like:
- Peanut butter
- Canned soup
- Canned fruit
- Canned vegetables
- Canned stew
- Canned fish
- Canned beans
- Pasta (most prefer whole grain)
- Rice (most prefer brown rice)
That’s not an exhaustive list, but it covers much of what food banks regularly need. Additionally, some food banksaccept personal care and household itemssince many families struggle to afford them and aren’t covered by other food assistance programs like SNAP.
Look in your pantry if you’re still stumped about what to donate. Families struggling with hunger often can’t afford the staples that we normally have stocked at home. So, check your pantry out and go from there. Even specialty foods like olive oil, dressings, or marinades can be helpful if they don’t need to be refrigerated.
What not to donate to a food bank
The number one rule to remember is this: if your donation is perishable, i.e., it’s something with a limited shelf life if not refrigerated, food banks won’t accept it. But there are other categories of food that you can’t donate. We've broken it all down into this handy list:
- Items needing refrigeration:As we've already mentioned, this is the big one. Food like produce, dairy, and meat can spoil easily and your local food bank may not have the refrigerator or freezer space needed to keep these items fresh. While an individual can’t donate a bunch of bananas or a frozen turkey, many food banks do work directly with farmers, retailers, restaurants, and other companies to source these perishable foods for donation. And, Feeding America helps ensure its network has access to these healthy foods year-round.
- Expired food: When considering what to donate, think about what you’d be comfortable servingyour family. Chances are, you don’t eat food that’s past its “use-by” or “sell-by” date, so avoid donating anything past those dates to food banks as it could be unsafe to eat.
- Leftovers: While it may be tempting to want to share the bountiful food from big meals like Thanksgiving, it’s best to keep leftovers for the family. To ensure the people they serve are safe, food banks can’t accept leftovers or anything made in personal kitchens because they aren’t individually sealed and the food bank can’t verify the ingredients or preparation process.
- Food with packaging concerns: This includes food with damaged packaging such as dented or bloated cans, packaging that is already open, or even items in glass containers, which can shatter and cause food safety concerns for any other food they’re stored near. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn't consider buying it new, don't donate it.
- Baked goods: Similar to leftovers, since food banks can’t confirm how your baked goods were made or their ingredients, they can’t be donated. But, food banks often have relationships with local restaurants or bakeries which will donate extra food that is properly labeled and handled to nearby pantries, soup kitchens or shelters.
Where can I donate food near me?
Now that you're in the know, take action! If you’re ready to make a donation or still have a question about what your local food bank accepts, use our food bank finder to locate the Feeding America food bank in your area. Or, if you’ve decided a food donation isn’t your thing, consider making a monetary donation instead! Food banks can put your dollars to excellent use.
FAQs
So, what should you donate on Saturday? Items linked with Shani, like black clothes or sesame seeds, are highly recommended. Donations like rice and sugar are also acceptable, though they are more commonly associated with other days.
What is best to give to a food bank? ›
Food
- UHT milk.
- Tinned meat (hotdogs, meatballs etc.)
- Tinned fish.
- Tinned fruit.
- Sponge/rice puddings.
- Coffee (small jars)
- Long-life juice.
- Pasta sauce.
What food donations are most needed? ›
Non-Perishable Food:
- Canned fish or meat.
- Peanut butter.
- Powdered milk.
- Soup.
- Canned fruit or vegetables.
- Granola bars.
- Baby food or baby formula.
- Juice boxes or other items for school lunches.
What to donate on Saturday? ›
So, what should you donate on Saturday? Items linked with Shani, like black clothes or sesame seeds, are highly recommended. Donations like rice and sugar are also acceptable, though they are more commonly associated with other days.
Is it better to donate food or money? ›
Canned goods can't purchase the trucks, gasoline, and manpower required to pack and ship the thousands of pounds of food distributed each month, but cash can. When you give money, you maximize your impact. Plenty of people view donating to food banks (or any other charity) as a way to dispose of their unwanted garbage.
Can you give toiletries to charity? ›
If you have toiletries, perfumes, or gift sets that you know will never be used, then keep reading. By donating these items, you can help reduce waste, recycle and provide essential products to those in need. Many organisations can repurpose these toiletries and perfumes, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
What is the best food charity to donate to? ›
Let's discuss some of the best charities to end world hunger.
- Action Against Hunger. Action Against Hunger has stood out as a beacon of hope for more than 40 years. ...
- Convoy of Hope. ...
- Feeding America. ...
- The Bread for the World Institute. ...
- The Hunger Project. ...
- Heifer International.
What food is good for charity? ›
The Best Non-Perishable Foods To Donate
- canned beans.
- dry beans.
- peanut butter, or other nut butters.
- rolled oats.
- canned fruit in juice (not in light or heavy syrup)
- canned vegetables (with no or low-sodium)
- low-sodium soups.
- canned tuna in water.
What can I donate for most money? ›
Here's a look at what you can donate to make money:
- Your Hair. You can make between $100 and $4,000 by donating your healthy, unbleached and untreated hair. ...
- Plasma. Plasma donation can be a lucrative — and easy — way to earn extra cash with your body. ...
- Bone Marrow. ...
- Sperm. ...
- Eggs. ...
- Uterus. ...
- Breast Milk. ...
- Your Skin.
How do you give food to needy? ›
How to donate food
- Individual food donations. If you and your family want to donate food, there are many options in your local community. ...
- Food industry donations. We work with companies of all sizes looking to donate food or grocery products. ...
- Food drives. Groups can make a big difference by hosting a food drive.
Christmas hampers usually include shelf-stable food and drink to be enjoyed over the festive season, such as mince pies, Christmas pudding, chocolate, biscuits, crackers, fudge, nuts, jam, chutney, wine, and champagne.
What not to give on Saturday? ›
- Do Not Purchase These Things: Individuals should not purchase anything made of coal, salt, wood, or iron on Saturday. By avoiding it, people's lives are free of challenges, difficulties, and unpleasant problems. In addition, individuals are forbidden from buying brooms, black shoes, pens, or paper.
What should you not do before donating? ›
Avoid fatty foods, such as a hamburger, fries or ice cream. Drink plenty of water before the donation. Check to see if any medications you are taking or recently took would prevent you from donating. For example, if you are a platelet donor, you must not take aspirin for two days prior to donating.
Where to donate sanitary products? ›
The Hygiene Bank accepts donations of new, unused and in-date toiletries – including hygiene, beauty and personal care essentials. If you want to help, rummage through your bathroom cabinets at home and see what you can donate.
What does the Felix project do? ›
Felix Project is a United Kingdom charitable organization that saves surplus food from suppliers and redistributes it to charities. It has the dual aim to help reduce food surplus.
What is the best food bank charity to donate to the UK? ›
Feeding Britain is an award-winning charity with a vision of a UK where no one goes hungry.
How to get free groceries in London? ›
Other ways to get food for free in the UK
- Visiting a food bank. To visit a food bank, you usually need to be referred, and get a food voucher. ...
- Visiting a soup kitchen. ...
- Visiting a FoodCycle community meal. ...
- Donating food to charity food banks. ...
- Donating food to homeless shelters. ...
- Volunteering and supporting FoodCycle.