Food Bank Donations Considerations
I know that many are trying to find ways to support neighbors facing the likelihood that food stamp benefits will not be paid out at the end of this week. First of all, thank you for being willing to love out loud in this critical and practical way. Secondly, I want to share a few thoughts with you before you stock up on food items to donate to a local food bank.
I helped run a food pantry for many years. Through that work, I learned many lessons about what food donations are most helpful and appreciated by those who come in for food support.
I often talked about the Golden Rule of Donating: "Donate to others as you would hope that others would donate to you if you were in need."
I hope that these lessons help you maximize the impact of your generosity if you feel led to help fill the food security gaps in your community in the coming days and weeks.
Rev. Dr. Christie Love
Senior Pastor, Englewood Christian Church
Founder/Executive Director The Faith and Trauma Center
Things to consider when donating food to a pantry:
Try to donate pop-top cans, because for many, opening a can may be a barrier.
For many on the streets, food stamps may be their main source of ability to get food. Often, they do not have access to running water, a microwave, a can opener, a cooktop, or a stove. Items that are packaged in individual servings and ready to eat can be very helpful to them.
Consider donating canned soups/stews with meat over canned vegetables. They are higher in protein and calories and will be much more filling.
Protein bars or Meal bars are a good way to increase calories for individuals.
Donate the Shells and Cheddar macaroni boxes instead of the Kraft or other similar generics. The reason is that Shells and Cheddar do not need extra ingredients like milk or butter to make them.
Bread is always needed and hard to get from a food pantry. Loaves can be frozen and stored.
Packages of lunch meat are RARE and very appreciated!
Muffin mixes that only require you to add water are great.
Tuna and Crackers or Chicken Salad and Crackers are great lunch items.
Dehydrated meals can be a big blessing for people with reduced cooking capacity.
Canned meats, especially canned chicken, are a huge blessing!
Shelf-stable milk or powdered milk is useful and appreciated.
Fresh fruits are a huge treat!
Bags of potatoes are a great donation because they can be used in many ways for meals and ingredients.
Bags of dried beans are often not popular, as many people do not know how to cook them. However, canned beans are utilized more frequently.
Powdered mashed potatoes, flavored rice packets, and flavored noodles are always popular donations.
Boxes of flavored oatmeal packets can be a great, easy way for people to start their day with calories that only need water to prepare.
Condiments like ketchup, mustard, jelly, mayonnaise, and salad dressing are always popular and appreciated.
Spices and pantry ingredients like vegetable oil, salt/pepper, flour, sugar, etc, allow people to make baked goods or complete recipes.
If your food pantry accepts frozen items, consider donating items like: frozen lasagnas, frozen dinners, frozen pizzas, frozen meal kits, frozen pot pies, etc.
Protein Shakes or Meal Replacement shakes can be a good source of nutrition for those who are struggling with calorie intake.
When possible, do not donate items in glass containers as they can often break when volunteers are packing or unpacking bags or boxes.
Brownie mixes and cake mixes can be a great treat for individuals, especially ones who need limited additional ingredients.
Many food banks/pantries will also accept and distribute hygiene items. These are a huge help - ESPECIALLY menstrual products!
Consider also donating cleaning supplies, especially: Dish soap, laundry detergent, and cleaning wipes/sprays.
Cash donations can be beneficial because they can allow them to get lower rates by buying much-needed items in bulk. You can reach out to the food bank(s) that you often support and ask them for their preference. I was always grateful when donors communicated with us because it allowed us to partner together to make the biggest impact that we could!
You can purchase and donate P38 military can openers in bulk for pantries/food banks to give out to people who need them. You can find as many as 200 for less than $30.
If your pantry accepts it, consider donating pet food as well. As people struggle to feed themselves, their pets will be impacted too. We used to buy big bags of pet food in bulk and then break them down into gallon-sized ziplocs to distribute at our pantry.
Consider donating gluten-free, sugar-free, or reduced-sodium items for individuals with food restrictions when they need support from local food pantries.
