Where To Donate Canned Foods
If youve got extra food crowding your pantry, you might be looking for a way to offload it to a worthy cause.
Whether youre moving house, doing some spring cleaning, or looking for a way to help end food insecurity in your community, youve likely turned to Google to find the best canned food donation centers near me or something like that.
In your search, you might have discovered that many food banks and donation centers have phased out the idea of donating canned food in favor of accepting cash. To avoid wasting more of your valuable time, check out this list of the top places to donate canned food in your area.
In The Food Industry And Want To Donate
Feed More depends on the generosity of the food industry to nourish our community. We recover excess product from manufacturers, wholesalers, growers, packers, grocers and more. We gladly accept product that is safe for consumption, yet is unsaleable for a number of reasons.
Donate your company products. If you are in the food service business, you can donate prepared and perishable food or household products for local people in need.
Join our Retail Recovery Program. Feed More can be an active partner in your companys food sustainability programs. Local grocers and suppliers can contribute, rather than waste, perfectly safe, perishable foods that are unsaleable.
Please contact our to learn about the products or produce that our community needs and how you can best contribute.
The Good Samaritan Law
Federal law encourages the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations for distribution to needy individuals. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act clarifies your protection from civil and criminal liability from products donated in good faith and standardizes these protections across all 50 states.
As a member of Feeding Americas food bank network, Feed More continues to meet or exceed the same federal food-handling and safety regulations that govern the food and grocery industry. For complete text of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, visit the Feeding America Web site at FeedingAmerica.org.
Knights Of Columbus Donate To Food Pantry
Knights of Columbus donated $2,000 to the Food Pantry. Pictured left to right are: Knights Freddy Hancock, Greg Mondini, Ron Clark, Jan Kirkwood/Food Pantry, Jim Curtis, Fr Lowry, Richard Deupree, and Bob Dietz.
The Knights of Columbus, Catholic men of faith and charitable action, donated $2,000 their largest single contribution, to the Henderson County Food Pantry.
Their goal each year is to contribute at least $1,000 and thanks to the Thanksgiving offering taken at St. Edwards Catholic Church that was added to the total, the donation amount was doubled.
From time to time, depending on the success of their fundraising, the Knights will make supplemental donations as well. In Fall 2022, they gave $300 for the purchase of disposable diapers for families in need.
The Knights not only donate monetarily to the Food Pantry, they volunteer their time there also. The Knights inquired at the Food Pantry as to their need for volunteers at the same time that a slowdown of volunteers due to the newly discovered Covid-19 virus was occurring in 2020.
Currently, they have eight Knights who cover a shift every other Tuesday as well as some volunteers, like Ron Clark, who also volunteer every Thursday. The Knights will also fill in if a shift at the Food Pantry is short-staffed and their spouses have been known to help quite a bit also.
For any questions or to make a donation to the Knights of Columbus and their efforts, contact Juan Martinez at .
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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?
Why Should You Donate To Local Food Banks
“Millions of vulnerable children are losing the healthy meals they depend on as the closes schools nationwide,” Davis said at the beginning of the pandemic. “As of , 39 states had closed schools entirely. When you add in the districts closed in other states it means 41.6 million kids, or 4 out of 5 kids, are out of school.” Even in areas where the schools were still open, many businesses were closed, which meant hourly workers who may have already been struggling to make ends meet were hit hard.
Fortunately, as of July 2022, the health risks posed by the pandemic have lessened over time. However, Davis notes that the need and the financial impact has not abated. âFamilies still face ongoing challenges due to the strained supply chain, rising food and gas prices, and skyrocketing inflation,â she says. âToday, one in six kids face hunger in the U.S.â
According to a recent Feeding America food bank survey, 80 percent of food banks across the country reported an increase or steady demand for food. Food insecurity exists everywhere, says Zuani Villarreal, the senior director of communication for Feeding America. âIt could be your classmate it could be a co-worker it could be your neighbor a fellow church goer that needs help and I think the awareness of that issue should drive people to help,â she says. For this reason, donating to food banks is more important than ever.
Don’t Miss: 2nd Harvest Food Bank New Orleans
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Donating Food To A Food Bank Consider Cash Instead Of Canned Goods
With 34 million people in the U.S. facing hunger, donating your extra or purchased dry and canned goods might seem like the best way to help your neighbors in need. But, the best way to support your local food bank is actually through donating money.
Here are four reasons why donating money over food helps more families in need:
We can turn a donated dollar into more meals
Rather than paying retail prices, our network of food banks works with major manufacturers, retailers, and farmers to secure healthy food. This means that when you donate a dollar, youre able to put more meals on the tables of families than if you donated food you’d purchased at the store.
And food banks use donated funds to help cover the cost of picking up the food from donors and bringing it to their warehouses. With supply chain disruptions and transportation costs rising, cash donations can make a big difference.
Donations build healthier communities
Canned goods and dry food items like pasta and rice are a vital part of our food banks and pantriesbut no one can live healthy lives on non-perishable items alone. Providing communities with meals isnt just about providing food, but about providing healthy food to all of our communities. We work to keep our network food banks and pantries stocked with more fresh fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins. These perishable items cant be directly donated through food drives but are vital for healthy lives.
We use funds to combat food waste
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Who Will Take Food Donations
- Food pantries: Use findhelp.org to find a food pantry near you that accepts donations. Call ahead to make sure that the pantry can accept your donation and coordinate how and when it should be delivered or picked up.
- Food banks: Contact Central Texas Food Bank to schedule a donation.
- Food rescue programs like Keep Austin Fed may be able to help with donation logistics.
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.
Read Also: Where Can You Donate Food Items
What Are The Best Canned Food Items To Donate And Other Faqs
What are the guidelines for canned food donations?
Food drive donations must be:
- In the original container with the original product label
- Within the Use by or Best if used by dates
- Free of damage, stains or moisture
- Standard retail food products
PLEASE NOTE: Boxes used to collect and store food must NOT have been used previously to store raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, produce or chemicals. Please store products in a cool, dry and clean area.
What are the best canned food items to donate?
The items most needed by our network of 700 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters are:
Are there any items you will not accept?
The Food Depository is not able to accept the following types of food donations:
- Items that have been opened or partially used including cans, bottles and dry goods
- Products not in their original packaging
- Products missing ingredient information labels
- Homemade or home-canned foods
- Products that have become contaminated
- Alcoholic beverages or energy drinks of any kind
Additionally, the Food Depository is not able to accept the following types of non-food items, though you may contact your local food pantry to ask if they are currently accepting these items:
How can I promote my food drive?
If you would like to use the Food Depositorys logo on any materials you create, please email . Materials must be reviewed and approved by the Food Depository before being distributed.
Do I have to put my food donations in a certain type of box?
Feeding America Food Banks
Feeding America is one of the most prolific organizations in the United States, running food banks and other places to donate food in almost every state. This includes 200 Feeding America Food Banks where volunteers collect millions of pounds of food to distribute to all of their surrounding counties. The organization secured and distributed 4 billion meals last year by sending food to food pantries and supplying meal programs. its goal is to end the fight against hunger in America and beyond.
How to donate food to Feeding America Food Banks:
Visit its online tool to figure out if there is a Feeding America Food Bank near you. Each of its foodbanks has a separate website and information regarding drop-off times and requirements for where to donate food.
Also Check: Where Can I Donate Expired Food
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.
Is It Safe To Eat The Canned Food Post
When donating the food, we should feel responsible for the health and well-being of people who might eat such food. Canned food post-expiration may not taste the best. However, there is no threat to the consumers health even when the canned food is consumed post expiration. The product should remain in good condition. The cans should not be bulging, rusting, dented, or leaking.
Read Also: Second Harvest Food Bank Donation
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 .
Where Can I Donate Canned Foods
Google isnt make this easy for me. Give me some suggestions !
Bonus points if its in/near downtown
Second Harvest Food Bank as long as its not expired, but food banks need cash more because they can get special bulk rates so its more cost effective than individuals buying canned food for them.
Website says they arent accepting canned food due to COVID this was the main Google result for me
Are they accepting food donations again? I called back in July or August about donating the excess produce from our garden and they said they werent accepting food donations because of Covid.
Dont know how much you are looking to offload in terms of canned foods, but the Peace and Justice Center on 7th Street Downtown has a little outdoor peace pantry where they stock canned foods and other non-perishables for the taking.
Maybe they might be able to take in a larger donation and ration it out? Just walked by there and they had canned goods in the pantry.
Also Check: St Mark’s Food Bank
How Can I Get Free Food
So to help keep your bellies and wallets full, we rounded up a few free food apps to help you score complimentary grub!7-Eleven. Once you download the 7-Eleven app and sign up for their rewards program, you instantly secure a free coffee. Panera Bread. Wendys. Krispy Kreme. Baja Fresh. Quiznos. Dairy Queen. Baskin-Robbins.More itemsJul 17, 2018
Dont Miss: Food Bank Donation Pick Up
Food Insecurity And Food Donations
In 2016, 41 million people struggled with hunger in the United States, including 13 million children. In 2015, 5.4 million seniors struggled to afford enough to eat. A household that is food insecure lacks access to affordable and nutritious food to support a healthy life.
Approximately 1 out of every 6 people in Contra Costa and in California are food insecure, meaning these individuals or families struggle to find their next meal. Many restaurants and markets discard food that was not sold into their garbage can, which eventually ends up in the landfills. Some of this food is still wholesome for consumption.
We want to encourage people to start donating their unwanted or minimally expired food goods to designated food donation centers to help the hungry here in our county.
Laws Around Donating Food
The California Good Samaritan Food Donation Act provides liability protections for those making good faith donations of surplus food by:
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Nrdc Is Seeking New Cities To Join Its Food Waste Reduction Program
The Food Matters initiative, first launched in 2015, can provide technical assistance and small amounts of funding for a range of local efforts.
The Natural Resources Defense Council is expanding its Food Matters initiative with a goal of helping more cities develop strategies around food waste reduction, recovery and recycling.
Cities with populations of 200,000 or more are encouraged to apply . NRDC will provide technical assistance for certain initiatives, such as estimating food waste generation, assisting with food waste reduction, planning, messaging and funding proposals, facilitating city support for edible food recovery programs and expanding community composting.
“While food waste has global implications it has a lot of local solutions, said Madeline Keating, a city strategist with NRDCs Healthy People and Thriving Communities Program. “City governments are really well equipped to address waste at the local level.”
The nonprofit may provide discretionary funding for small Food Matters projects, though Keating said NRDC can also advise cities on how to apply for state and federal grant funding.
Progress on zero waste goals ranges widely among major cities, as does their level of advancement in food waste initiatives. Some cities may have robust programs in place to offer or support organics recycling and edible food recovery systems, while others may be in the earlier stages of assessing how to launch their efforts.