Other Items We Accept
All though food is our number one priority, we take non-food related items and gifts-in-kind on a case by-case basis.
Hygiene Items
Pet Food
Whether they talk with their beaks or walk on four feet, our pets are cherished parts of our family and they need just as much help, love and nutrition as we do. Help feed furry family members by donating unopened pet food and treats.
Baby items
Our baby hampers are provided to our youngest clients, newborns and infants up to 12 months old. We accept donations of baby food , infant formula , and diapers . We accept unopened and opened packages of diapers.
Birthday Party Kits
The birthday room is a special place at the Food Bank. Birthday party kits are available for children aged one to 12, who might not otherwise enjoy the luxury of a birthday party. We accept donations of bags, cards, party supplies, books, art and school supplies, games, toys, cakes mixes, icing, balloons and candles.
Central Texas Food Bank Says Thanksgiving Food Needs Up Despite Ongoing Supply Chain Issues
AUSTIN As Thanksgiving nears, the Central Texas Food Bank is seeing an increased need for support going into the holiday season despite ongoing food supply chain issues, they said.
The food banks current demands rival pandemic-level needs for support, said Sari Vatske, the president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. The organization usually distributes 12,000-14,000 turkeys, but they expect to give out over 16,000 turkeys this year.
Weve already seen increased numbers because of inflation, so the holiday time iscompounding the issue, Vatske said.
At the same time, the Central Texas Food Bank said about 30% of their shipments were canceled by the United States Department of Agriculture due to nationwide supply chain challenges.
To combat the shortfall, the food bank is purchasing additional food, finding unique ways to work with food donors and relying more on community support.
The food bank has lower-than-usual levels of food including canned goods, but Vatske said they will still supply turkeys and other foods to families in need this holiday season.
The Central Texas Food Bank serves over 20 counties including Travis, Williamson, Hays, Burnet Bell, Bastrop, Blanco, Milam, Gillespie, Caldwell and Lampasas counties.
Items We Can’t Accept
To avoid waste, please don’t donate:
- Items past their expiry date
- Vitamins and over-the-counter medications
- Food prepared in a home environment like personally wrapped meats, baked goods, preserves, or casseroles
- Prepared foods that haven’t been made in a professional kitchen
- Opened food items, or food not in its original container or packaging
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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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Best Foods To Donate To A Food Drive
The holiday season is full of opportunities to give to those who cant afford to put nourishing meals on their familys table.
And we desperately need to take advantage of these opportunities.
Though hunger may sound like a problem of the past since obesity is often the more visible and talked-about issue this is far from the truth. More than 49 million Americans live in food-insecure households, and 16 million of these people are children.
What hungry families need is not the Kraft Mac & Cheese thats been sitting at the back of our pantry for two years, or the ketchup we never got around to using. Rather, they need healthy, high-quality foods that promote good eating habits any improved overall health.
Below are some of the best foods you can donate to a food drive or food bank.
Top 10 Foods to Give to a Food Bank
1. Canned fish and lean meats. Canned salmon, tuna, and chicken are high in protein and provide a great base for healthy meals.
2. Peanut butter / other nut butters. These or packaged nuts are great sources of protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fat. Theyre an especially helpful donation because theyre usually too expensive for food banks to purchase in sufficient quantities.
3. Healthy soups and stews. Look for low-sodium, organic, and natural brands of canned soup or stew. These provide needed nutrients and a way for families with limited resources to sit down to a healthy family meal.
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Food Banks Do Hand Out Fresh Food But You Shouldnt Donate It
According to Feeding America, the three most requested items at food banks and food pantries are dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins like frozen chicken and canned tuna. But, because fresh food needs to be refrigerated or frozen and food banks have limited space for this, they often get fixed donations from nearby grocery stores instead of taking small donations from individuals. This also makes it easier for them to make sure that fresh food has been safely stored, which helps prevent spoiled or moldy food.
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.
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Anyone Can Be A Food Donor
Anyone can donate food, including farmers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, cruise ships, and households, just to name a few.
- EPAs Excess Food Opportunities Map is an interactive tool that displays the locations of nearly 1.2 million potential industrial, commercial and institutional excess food generators and more than 4,000 potential recipients.
- Gleaning is the collection of excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, farmers markets, and other sources to provide it to those in need. Typically, volunteers partner with a farm to glean excess fresh produce and deliver it to a food bank or food pantry. Learn how to develop a successful gleaning program with this USDA toolkit .
What Donations Does The Food Bank Need
The food bank accepts many kinds of donations, including volunteers, money and food itself.
In fact, it is in desperate need of all of of these things.
COVID-19 eroded the food banks army of 85,000 volunteers, many of whom have yet to return. Meanwhile, service demands remain about 25 percent higher than before COVID as Texans continue to rely on charity to combat skyrocketing inflation that has pushed national food prices up by more than 9 percent over the last two years.
Anyone older than 6 can volunteer at the food bank, and the organization is perhaps most in need of this kind of help.
But thats not the only way to aid. People can also donate money online or by contacting the development department, 713-547-8623.
For each $1 that is donated, the bank can provide as many as three meals because of its partnerships with manufacturers and distributors.
Finally, residents can donate non-perishable food items in red barrels at their local grocery store. Frozen food, however, is not accepted from the public.
Visitors find many items at the food bank useful, but have been especially grateful for fresh produce, officials said.
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How Do I Get Free Food
Residents cant actually pick up food at the food bank itself.
Rather, volunteers help distribute food and other donations to more than 1,600 partner agencies across 18 counties, which is where people can go to get food.
Those in need of assistance can visit, at www.houstonfoodbank.org/find-help/ or call 832-369-9390.
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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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
And Dont Forget About Beauty Banks
Beauty Banks is a non-profit organisation that collects and distributes personal care and beauty items to people who need them. Set up by beauty writer Sali Hughes and beauty PR Jo Jones, Beauty Banks works with charity partners who are registered foodbanks and shelters to distribute these essential personal items to those who will benefit most.
You can donate beauty and personal care items through Droppoint or Easho wishlist, a retail partner of Beauty Banks.
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If You Want To Make A Food Donation Give Nutritious Non
Your local food bank will likely accept almost any non-perishable food item, but here are the items that food banks want the most:
If youre donating canned goods, look for cans labeled “low-sodium” or “no added salt.”Too much sodium increases a persons risk for heart disease and stroke, and food insecure individuals may already be at higher risk. Also, stick to fruits and vegetables that are canned in water instead of syrup, or that are labeled “no added sugar.” As too much sugar increases a persons risk of type 2 diabetes, and makes it harder for people with type 2 diabetes to manage their blood sugar. And, again, people who are food insecure may already be at a higher risk.
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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How To Volunteer For A Food Bank
With over 30% of food bank project managers over 65 years old and therefore classed as at-risk, food banks are struggling with a lack of personnel to help deliver parcels due to Covid restrictions. Speaking to the Guardian, Emma Revie said, We are definitely in need of additional volunteers. One of our biggest threats is people becoming unwell and unable to volunteer.
Your local council website is likely to have a page on volunteering in your area, specifying any food banks local to you and if there are roles and jobs available. You can also search using The Trussell Trust website .
Treasure Coast Food Bank St Lucie Mets To Give Out Holiday Meals
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. The Treasure Coast Food Bank is teaming up with the St. Lucie Mets on Monday morning to distribute holiday meals.
The effort starts at 8 a.m. at Clover Park, and there’s enough food for roughly 750 families.
Each holiday meal box contains a turkey, along with canned veggies, fruits, mashed potato flakes and other holiday food items.
The Amazin’ Mets Foundation was able to help provide the food by giving the Treasure Coast Food Bank a donation.
Members of the Mets Organization will be at Clover Park with volunteers from the food bank. Together they’ll distribute the meal boxes until 11 a.m., or whenever the food runs out.
According to the latest reports from the Consumer Price Index, the cost of food overall has gone up 13% year over year. The price of turkeys is up a whopping 17%.
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Can Expired Foods Be Donated
Expired foods can be donated.We had to say it because not everyone knows it. Food items that are past their best before dates are accepted and appreciated at food donation stations and food banks across the country. Please help spread the word.
Estimates vary, but each and every year a large percentage of food produced for people to eat in the U.S. goes to waste. When we began in 2011 the estimates of food waste were around 40%, wed like to think that people are putting a dent in that number so want to believe some of the more current estimates that have come in as low as 25-30%. Even if they are now lower, its still too high.
You may be thinking: Is it OK to donate expired food?Do food banks accept expired foods? The answer to both questions is an overwhelming YES!!. That answer is even backed by the USDA.
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How To Calculate The Value Of Your Tax
Now comes the tricky part. How much can you deduct from your taxes? There are a couple of rules to keep in mind:
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You Can Find Your Local Food Bank Through Feeding America
Obviously, food banks want you to be able to find them. Most have their own websites, and you can likely find several in your area by just Googling “food bank near me.” You can also use Feeding Americas Find Your Food Bank tool, which maps local food banks and directs you to their website. The tool can also help you locate a local food pantry, if youre looking to volunteer or are in need of food yourself.
Another thing to keep in mind is that different food banks have different needs, and these needs change over time. If your local food bank has a social media account, give them a follow and stay up-to-date on which items they do and dont want at any moment.
Bottom Line: The Best And Safest Way To Give Food To Those In Need Is To Donate To Large Organizations Who Know Exactly What Theyre Doing
Food insecurity has long been a problem in America, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made things worse. Significantly more people are food insecure now than before the pandemic. And since COVID-19 is a contagious virus, food banks and food pantries must spend more time and money on extra safety precautions. Its complicated, to say the least. Because of all this, the best thing you can do is donate money to your local food bank, Feeding America, or No Kid Hungry. If youd rather donate food, make sure to give healthy non-perishables, and to only do so if you dont have any COVID-19 symptoms and have been following public health guidelines like wearing a mask and washing your hands.
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