Help Out In Other Ways
Ask your local food bank what else they need. It might be skills, says Makwana: They may need to set up a website, or some admin work, fundraising.
Could you help in big ways? A lot of food banks might say yes if they were offered use of a warehouse or given a building, says Beckett. At the moment, weve got a building that is rent-free, but thats going to run out and were going to have to move.
Consider More Expensive Items
Corned beef wasnt that expensive and lots of people donated it, but weve seen that drop off massively because of the price, says Jen Coleman, CEO of Black Country food bank. Billy McGranaghan, founder and chief executive of Dads House, a support organisation and food bank in London, says it buys tins of tuna and sardines every week to keep stocks up.
How To Qualify For A Food Bank
Food banks are designed to provide short-term, emergency support with food during a crisis. They aim to relieve that immediate pressure by providing food, but also offer additional support so that people dont need to use the food bank again in the future.
You may get a food bank referral if:
- You have been made redundant or have reduced working hours.
- Unexpected bills have left you with no money.
- A change in your circumstances has affected your entitlement to benefit or has reduced the amount you receive.
- A payment of benefit has been delayed.
There are a number of food banks who do not need a referral and may not ask about your personal circumstances they rely on trust that you would only use the food bank if you were in need.
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What Do Food Banks Need At Christmas
Festive treats are appreciated as food donations at food banks during the Christmas holidays particularly Christmas pudding, as it often comes with a long-life use by date. The Trussell Trust recommends non-alcoholic puddings.
Chocolate coins and Christmas dinner non-perishables such as tinned pies, vegetables, condiments, and gravy are all appreciated this time of year. Festive treats for those who can’t afford them at this time of year are welcome.
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How To Make Your Contribution
Securely make your contribution online through our donation form or
Please make out the cheque to Calgary Food Bank and mail it to 5000 11 Street SE, Calgary, AB T2H 2Y5. Please do not mail cash. Tax receipts will be mailed 2-3 weeks after the donation is received.
In Person
To make a monetary donation visit us at the Annex 5020 12A Street SE, Monday to Thursday 8:30 am 4:30 pm and Friday 8:30 am 4 pm.
To donate food please go to the Main Location 5000 11 St SE Donation Centre which is Loading Dock Door 7, Monday to Thursday 8 am 7:30 pm and Friday to Saturday 8 am 3 pm.
Over the phone
We will never call and ask for donations. If you have received a call like this and gave out personal information, please call us at 403-253-2059 or the Calgary Police at 403-266-1234.
Numbers reflect our fiscal year, September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021.
Visits
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Donate To Your Local Food Bank
Now that you have the knowledge, find a local food bank in your area and go donate!
Start with Google
A simple Google search for food bank near me might give you the answer you need. For example, I grew up with the Hunger Task Force in Wisconsin.
Feeding America Locator Tool
To find a food bank near you, try Feeding Americas easy locator tool. Just click the button below.
Create A Virtual Fund Drive
Get your friends and colleagues involved with your effort to help feed Rhode Islanders facing hunger. You can create your own personalized fundraising campaign with many fun options, such as creating a team to engage others in raising funds towards a common goal. You can even connect your movement tracker or your game play streaming account to make a unique and engaging experience for your donors.
Check out our fundraising tool and get started.
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Get A Tax Credit For Your Donation
Giving makes good “cents” – and AZ tax credit dollars, too!
We are recognized as a Qualifying Charitable Organization , QCO code 20527, which means that you can receive a tax credit on your Arizona state taxes for your donation, and you dont even have to itemize to receive it! Under Arizona law, you may be able to receive up to $400 or $800 when you make a gift to AzFBN. See www.azdor.gov for more details, and be sure to consult your tax preparer or financial adviser for information specific to your situation.
Another Option: If you are at least 70 1/2 years young, you may qualify to donate from your IRA without triggering tax consequences when you transfer funds directly. Again, consult your tax preparer or financial advisor for specific advice.
Best Food Items To Donate
The best items to donate are non-perishables that last a long time.
These include:
- Canned goods: soup, tomatoes, beans, canned fruits and vegetables, chickpeas, etc.
- Long-lasting drinks: UHT milk, fruit juice, as well as tea bags and coffee.
- Food cupboard items: pasta, rice, cereals, lentils, beans and pulses.
- Spices: these are great to donate as they last a very long time and add flavour to any meal.
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Or That Requires Minimal Cooking
Tinned potatoes are versatile and can be microwaved, and tinned meals such as curries or stews are popular. Neilly isnt a fan of canned pies mainly because they take half an hour in the oven. But other food banks might welcome them: A couple of them for a family, with some veg, is great, says Coleman.
Support Food Banks Across Arizona Through Azfbn
For grants, endowments, fundraisers, stock & investment gifts, United Way, and including AzFBN in your will, please contact Terri Shoemaker or call 602-528-3434.
Want to show your support of hunger relief every time you hit the road? Consider getting a Hunger Relief License Plate! Proceeds benefit AzFBN, and youll be ending hunger one plate at a time! Visit Service Arizonafor more information.
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Join Our Giving Community
Our clients are at the center of the work we do. As our population grows and ages and the costs of housing, childcare, education, medical and other expenses stretch beyond paychecks, we know our work will continue to be vital in this community. Our dream for the coming years is to provide not just food, but also hope to stabilize the lives of our clients and help them on a path to self-sufficiency which will build a vibrant community for all. If we all commit to Feeding Us Forward as businesses, individuals, non-profit partners and civic leaders we can cultivate and grow a healthy, hunger-free community.
Our Feeding Us Forward Giving Community provides opportunities for every person to make a difference regardless of giving ability. We invite you to join today to help us end hunger and give hope.
Best Food Donations For Thanksgiving And Christmas
While many of us will gather around the table for cozy family meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas, those who are hungry have a different experience.
Many food banks partner with farmers, grocery store chains, and restaurants to deliver perishables food such as turkeys, dairy, and fresh fruits and vegetables at the holidays and all year round. These organizations are true heroes that bring a lot of joy and comfort.
If you have one of these occasions in mind, here are some holiday-specific food donations to add to your cart next time youre at the grocery store.
- Instant mashed potatoes
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Where To Buy Donations
There is no wrong place to source your donations, and even your own pantry is a good start . Similarly, any grocery store or food warehouse will do.
For this project, I wanted to buy a lot, and I thought that Aldi was my best bet.
Here are the reasons I like to shop at Aldi for donations:
Go For Food That Can Be Eaten Cold
Most food banks report clients are increasingly asking for food that requires no cooking. For some, its about saving energy, but some dont have access to cooking facilities or even a kettle. Pots of instant noodles or porridge that just need hot water are useful. Rajesh Makwana, director of Sufra, a poverty action group and food bank in north London, says his team give out no-cook parcels. Theyre limited in terms of nutrition, he says. Things like breads and biscuits. No pasta, no rice. Wed give some tuna, so you can just open that, stick it on some bread and eat it. Its really minimal stuff. Neilly keeps a stock of tinned sweetcorn, which can be eaten cold.
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Can I Donate Toiletries To Food Bank
You can donate toiletries to most food banks but it’s worth checking on the local food bank website beforehand. The Trussell Trust recommends the following:
You can also donate household items, feminine hygiene products, and baby supplies too:
- Household items laundry liquid detergent, laundry powder, washing up liquid
- Feminine products sanitary towels and tampons
- Baby supplies nappies, baby wipes, and baby food
- Face masks and hand sanitiser
How Your Money Is Used
Giving to AzFBN is effective!
Because we work with economies of scale your financial gifts to AzFBN go a long way. Because we deal with semi tractor-trailer loads of food, a little goes a long way! Of course your donations support hunger fighting programs, too, as we work toward a vision of a hunger free Arizona.
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Directly To Your Local Food Bank
Find your nearest food bank by .
Once youve been shown your local food bank, you can click on the local website for that food bank, showing you the times when theyre open for donations.
Most importantly, each food bank keeps their site updated regarding which items they have enough of, and which items they are in urgent need of. If youre planning on donating and havent gone out to buy the items yet check your local food banks website first to find out what these urgently needed items are.
How To Donate To A Food Bank
If youre looking to make a difference in your local community and donate to a food bank, there are many ways you can do it. On their website, The Trussell Trust says, Were not sure about the impact of the pandemic will be on food stock levels in the coming months, so we really encourage you to support your local food bank if youre able to.
They encourage people to check what items are most needed on that day and donate those if possible.
Currently, you are still able to donate directly to your local food bank using the search feature to find the closest one to you, or through your local supermarket collection points. There should be a basket in your local supermarket where you can donate food to.
If you want to donate money instead, you can do this directly via The Trussell Trust.
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What Items Do Food Banks Need Most
Food banks mostly need long-life products that have extended use-by dates or non-perishables such as tinned vegetables and fish, biscuits, and sugar for example.
Tinned foods are often the first thing people think to donate however, other store cupboard essentials like stock cubes, condiments and spices, and jarred sauces are also welcome.
Where Is My Local Food Bank
There are 2,000 food banks across the UK, with the majority of them run by The Trussell Trust and the others run by the Independent Food Aid Network.
The easiest way to find the food bank nearest you is through the Trussell Trust website, where you can search for the food banks in your area. You’ll also be able to find out when they’re open and the best way to contact them there. It’s best to call before turning up with a donation as the information online about opening hours might not be up-to-date.
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What To Donate To A Food Bank And What To Avoid
So, youre ready to donate food to your local food bank. Thats great! Whether youre 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 donate and what food banks wont 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 wont go bad. And remember, only donate food that hasnt reached its sell-by date yet. Specifically, food banks often need items like:
Thats definitely not an exhaustive list but it covers a lot of what food banks regularly need. Additionally, some food banks accept personal care and household items, since many families struggle to afford these items and they arent covered by other food assistance programs like SNAP.
If youre still stumped about what to donate, just look in your own pantry. Families struggling with hunger often cant 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 dont need to be refrigerated.
What not to donate to a food bank
Where can I donate food near me?
Get To Know What Your Local Food Bank Needs
Alexandra McMillan, founder of Legendary Community Club, a food justice group in south London, says people have asked for food for their pets, particularly cat and dog food. For Colchesters Beckett, donations of plastic bags clean and sturdy are welcome, and his warehouse manager loves it when people either drop donations off there, or get an online order delivered to our warehouse. Follow your local food bank on social media to get information about fundraising anything from larger events to donating raffle prizes.
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What Is A Food Bank
Food banks are community organisations that can help people who struggle to afford to buy enough food to eat. The products available in food banks consist of basic items that people need to live, most of which are given to the charities by members of the public or purchased by the organisations with money raised through fundraising activities, donated by business and the public or gained through funding initiatives such as the National Lottery Good Causes .
Resources and finances are always limited, and many food banks are unable to support people long-term often these food banks provide a limited number of emergency food parcels to people experiencing a short-term food crisis.
It is not just food that is available though, other essential items are also available, for example:
A few food banks offer frozen foods and even pet food, as well as seasonal items like Easter eggs and Christmas puddings, depending on the donations they receive. Some food banks offer hot meals and advice drop-in sessions.
Many food banks offer additional support to help people resolve the crises they are facing this could include things like debt advice, mental health support, or benefits guidance. People using food banks usually need to get a referral before they can use them. It is important to note that the services provided by food banks may vary from one area to another. Food banks react to the needs of the community to best offer help and support to local people who are in crisis.
Food Donations From Individuals
While we appreciate the support we received from food drives over the years, weve had issues with the varying levels of food quality through third-party food drives. On average, up to 30% of the food we receive ends up being SPOILED, DAMAGED, or UNSAFE to eat.
After much consideration, we have decided to move away from food drives as of January 2022.
For more information on this decision, please visit our page here
If you already hosted your food drive and need to drop off your food, you may drop it off at one of our Community Agency Partners.
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