Donate Food & Essentials
The Food Bank for Larimer County accepts donated food, including shelf-stable items such as canned and dry goods as well as dairy, meat, bakery items and fresh produce. We adhere to strict food safety guidelines for the food that we accept. Our staff is trained to pay close attention to date codes, especially with refrigerated products. Most of the dates on the food we distribute are not expiration dates they are best if used by or sell by dates. This means the product is wholesome beyond the date on the product.
In addition to food items, we also gladly accept non-food items like diapers, baby wipes, deodorant, toothpaste, menstrual products and other essentials that help our clients live healthy and rewarding lives.
Readers Can Help Northwest Arkansas Food Bank By Donating To Community Christmas Card Campaign
Donate
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette asks readers for donations to support the work of the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank through the Community Christmas Card program. For more about the program, see related story on 1B of today’s edition.
As of Friday, the fund held $9,997.57.
The food bank will receive 100% of the tax-deductible donations.
Donors who give more than $3 by 5 p.m. Dec. 20 will have their names printed in the paper and replica editions on Christmas Day. The newspaper will accept donations until Dec. 31.
Donations may be made at or mailed to Community Christmas Card, c/o Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, ATTN: Sandy Robinson, P.O. Box 1607, Fayetteville, AR 72702. If contributing online, list the names in the “Tribute” field for inclusion in the Community Christmas Card. If contributing by mail, please include the list of names to be included in the Christmas Card.
Print Headline: Donate
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
According to this food banks website, 20% of Los Angelenos face food insecurity, and this organization is on a mission to reduce that number to 0. The food bank has temporarily paused on canned food donations from individuals, but theyve provided a list of local Los Angeles-area partners that are currently accepting donations.
To find the best food bank to donate food near you, head on over to this directory. Enter your location and select a radius of up to 15 miles.
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Why Is Giving Money More Efficient Than Donating Food
When you donate to end hunger, Second Harvest Heartland combines your dollars with donated, rescued and wholesale-purchased food from grocery stores, farmers, restaurants, retailers and other partners. This multiplies your gift to make the biggest impact. Your financial donation makes it possible for our robust team of volunteers, warehouse workers and truck drivers to sort, re-package and distribute over 120 million pounds of food to nearly 1,000 food shelves and other local agency partners each year, who put it directly in the hands of families in need.
Learn more about how to make a financial contribution.
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Quick And Professional Response
We can respond quickly, usually by the next business day. Pallet exchange can be provided. We have a fleet of dock high, refrigerated vehicles and full-time drivers. Our warehouse has a 600+ pallet capacity, with a 130+ pallet drive-in freezer and 60+ pallet drive-in cooler. A team of community volunteers inspect, clean, sort, label, and repack donations.
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Are Canned Food Donations Tax Deductible
The short answer is yes. However, there are some rules you must follow to write off the value of your canned food donation on your tax return. The first thing youll want to confirm is that the place youre donating to is a tax-exempt organization. The IRS has a list of organizations on its website, which you can access using the Exempt Organization Search Tool.
You should be aware that not all tax-exempt non-profits will appear on the list. For example, any non-profit that is already tax-exempt will have an application on file. This includes churches, mosques, synagogues, and government agencies.
Why Donate To Food Banks Specifically
âFood banks generally are very efficient in their logistics processes, affording the food industry a one-stop place for donations that they can trust will be handled with best-in-class food safety considerations,â says Michael Guerra, chief development officer for the San Antonio Food Bank in Texas. âFood banks also work to equitably distribute donated food to local nonprofits that have food as a part of their missionâfood pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, etc.â And, he adds, food banks are often the primary organization in a community that aims at minimizing food insecurity among low-income households and under-resourced households in that community.
In addition to providing food, Guerra says most food banks also provide nutritional education and access to public safety programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program .
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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 canned vegetables and fish, biscuits, and sugar for example.
Canned foods are often the first thing people think to donate. This is because when considering ‘how long does canned food last ?’, the answer is it has a long shelf life and can even be eaten beyond its expiration date if the can isn’t damaged in any way.
However, other store cupboard essentials like stock cubes, condiments and spices, and jarred sauces are also welcome.
What Not To Donate To A Food Bank
Tatosian that while the food bank is appreciative of all donations, they do try to avoid certain items.
We dont accept anything in glass containers, because it can break and spoil other food, she shared. We really try to avoid, when possible, candy donations, sugar sweetened beverages soda, sweetened teas, sports drinks baked goods such as cookies, cakes, pastries, sweetened muffins.
For both large and small food pantries, donating spoiled or rotten food should always be avoided.
Cars would drive by and drop bags full of groceries that Id have to mostly throw out open containers, grossly expired food, cookies with some missing from the sleeve, things that were moldy, Foster explained. It was its own full-time job just sorting through it all.
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Capital City Youth Services
Capital City Youth Services provides guidance, shelter and support to youth and families in the Big Bend area. CCYS uses eTapestry for online donations at If you would like to mail in a donation, make your check payable to CCYS and mail to: 2407 Roberts Ave. Tallahassee, FL 32310. For questions about donations, contact Justin Barfield at justin.barfield@ccys.org or 850-251-0174.
What Food Items Can Be Donated
As a rule of thumb, Villarreal says food banks are looking for food pantry staples that most people have in their kitchens such as grains, pastas, canned beans, cereal, and peanut butter. Guerra adds that low-sodium canned vegetables, rice, and canned fruit are also needed.
There are some items that food banks generally donât take as donations such as homemade items, Guerra says. Villarreal advises not donating items in glass containers as they can shatter during transportation or anything thatâs opened, damaged, or unlabeled.
Keep the expiration dates in mind as well. âMany nonperishable items have a shelf life well beyond their sell-by date,â Guerra says. So, Villarreal recommends using your best judgment. If the item is near its expiration date it should be fine to donate, but if itâs well past the date itâs best to toss it.
Depending on the food bank, some also accept other items as donations. Think of things that youâd find at your local grocery store such as feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, diapers, pet food, and other household items.
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How Does It Work
We make food donation easy. Our Operations Director will work with you to establish a convenient schedule for pick-up of your excess food based on the amounts available, your storage capacity, and our vehicle availability. Excess food should be stored in a safe manner.
When our drivers arrive, they will place that food in boxes provided by Food For Free and transport them in refrigerated trucks to our own cooler and freezer storage or directly to one of our recipient agencies.We track all donations, both in and out, for safe record keeping and by request can provide you with how much food your organization has donated by weight.
For more information on our food donation program, please contact our Operations team at .
Liability Information: You are protected. There are both federal and state laws protecting your organization from liability as long as you are donating the food in good faith and there is no gross negligence. The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic offers this fact sheet with further information.
Do You Donate Leftover Food To Charity
Food charity has greatly helped in reducing the hunger problem in many countries, and is a sustainable initiative to fight hunger. Being a citizen, you must donate food to charity and support the cause. Instead of throwing leftover food items in the garbage, you can donate those to someone who is badly hungry. Apart from leftovers, you can also donate different varieties of non-perishable food items to charity.
Check here how to donate food to charity without any hassle.
Find a food charity organization in your location: Instead of distributing the food directly, its recommended to find a charitable organization that supports food charity. Use Google, and you will find many in your locality. You can also contact the near-by Foodbanks.
Ask which food items to donate: Charitable organizations, as well as Foodbanks, are very strict when it comes to food donation. Its better to consult the charity before planning the donation. Ask about which food items are useful to donate.
Gather the food you want to donate: Make sure, the food items are good and in eatable condition at the time of donation. You can put all the food together in a box or bag, and make it ready for the delivery.
Donate Food to charity: The Foodbanks are open throughout the week. You can donate the food as per your convenience and prior to appointment. In case, you are busy with your job life, request food donation pick-up from your address.
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Christmas 202: How To Donate To Food Banks This Season
Food banks are one of the most popular ways to donate food to people in need and one of the most relied-upon charity services.
With the number of food banks skyrocketing in the last decade, the Trussell Trust reported that the reliance on these has increased by 81% in the last five years.
With Christmas fast approaching and the demand for donations as high as ever, here is how you can help out those in need by donating food to charities across the UK.
Is Tyron A Single Dad
Joan eventually found work, but we were there to help her put food on the table during the job search and transition. Tyron is a single dad raising his 6- year-old daughter. He is working but doesn’t make enough to pay the bills. He shares custody with the child’s mom so she always has a roof over her head.
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Where Can I Donate Food On Li
Long Island Cares, Inc: The Harry Chapin Food Bank: The Harry Chapin Food Bank delivers food donations to over 540 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, group homes, day treatment facilities, senior nutrition sites, and day care centers throughout Nassau and Suffolk, so you know that your donation will definitely go …Dec 22, 2010
Where Can I Donate Extra Food In Nyc
Where to donate food in NYCCamba’s Where You Can Food Drive. Bring canned food donations to any of Camba’s five Brooklyn locations to help stock the organization’s emergency food pantry, which feeds 4,300 Brooklynites a month. … Part of the Solution. … West Side Campaign Against Hunger.Nov 10, 2017
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Best Practices For Donating Canned Foods
We all want to be good citizens and do some good with the items were donating. Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Donate the items that the food bank accepts. Read their guidelines first.
- Check expiration dates. If an item is nearing or past expiration, the food bank likely wont accept it.
- Examine packaging for rust, dents, faded or damaged labels, or leaks.
- Check foodbank hours to ensure that you dont make a wasted trip. Remember, Easy Donation PickUp will come to you, so you dont have to worry about that if you donate your canned food to us!
- Avoid donating perishable items. It might seem common sense, but its easy to forget that an item requiring refrigeration will not hold up on a foodbank shelf. This includes anything that needs to be refrigerated.
Dont worry, though. Just because you cant donate fresh food doesnt mean that hungry families dont have access to these items through a food bank. Food banks often coordinate with suppliers such as farmers, restaurants, and retailers to source these items.
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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Have Excess Food Support Change
The food donations made by Australians every year help alleviate food insecurity across the country.
At Food For Change, we believe in an abundant Australia, where anybody can get the food relief they require at anytime. To help achieve this we have developed our online database of food relief organisations across Australia to allow food donors to donate excess food quickly and easily and feed those in need in their communities.
Limited Liability Protection For Donors
The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996 encourages the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations for distribution to needy individuals. The Act exempts persons and gleaners who make good faith donations of food to nonprofit organizations that feed the hungry from liability for injuries arising from the consumption of the donated food.
Under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, the following food donation standards apply:
Persons and gleaners : Persons and gleaners, including qualified direct donors, shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food that the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.
Nonprofit organizations: Nonprofit organizations shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food that the nonprofit organization received as a donation in good faith from a person or gleaner, including a qualified direct donor, for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.
Donations of apparently wholesome food by qualified direct donors must be made in compliance with applicable state and local health, food safety, and food handling laws .
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Places To Donate Food
There are food recipient organizations across the country. The following sites offer tools to help donors find nearby food banks, pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that may accept wholesome, excess food.
- Feeding America is a national network of food banks, individuals, national offices, and corporate and government partners working to combat hunger in the U.S. Use the Find Your Local Food Bank tool to locate food programs by state or zip code.
- Ample Harvest is a nationwide effort to educate, enable, and encourage gardeners to donate extra produce to local food pantries. Use their Find a Pantry tool to donate food you grow or buy.
- The Homeless Shelter Directory is a crowdsourced listing for people who want to find and donate food and/or supplies to their local shelter.
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Important Guidelines For Food Donors
- Never Plan A Donation As An Excuse To Clean Out Your Kitchen If you are donating food to charity, just to clean your pantry, then please stay away from donation programs. Food charity is not about giving unnecessary or expired food items. Rather its all about helping the poor, who dont have anything to eat & survive.
- First Understand Which Foods Are Suitable For Donation Home-made foods, Food prepared with hygienic ingredients, leftover unused food, fresh surplus food items, packaged food within expiry date, and distressed food items are suitable for donation to charity. You should never donate food items such as canned foods, perishable foods, unpasteurized milk, food in soiled containers, and foods with off odor.
- Always Follow Safe Food Handling Practices It is true food charity for the poor is making a positive change. Individuals from different parts of the world are stepping forward to eradicate the Hunger crisis. However, the donors need to maintain safe food handling practices for ensuring successful food donations. Cooking temperature, dishwashing, handwashing, food storage, food packaging & transportation, cross-contamination and allergies are some of the essential practices to consider when planning to donate food to charity.
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