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 of excess food including anaerobic digestion facilities, composting facilities, and food banks.
- 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 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?
Where To Donate Cooked Food
Donate Food
- Food retailers, wholesalers and distributors. FareShare accepts bulk donations of food to cook meals.
- Caterers, private and corporate. Sausages from sausage sizzles where the sausages have been stored in eskies or cool boxes.
- Individuals/households. …
State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign
- Food rescue means recovering healthy foods and making fast deliveries to those in need. …
- Food Finders is a community-based food rescue organization in Southern California, which serves as a conduit, between donors and people in need.
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Why Should I Donate
500,000 people in Eastern Massachusetts struggle with food insecurity. Thats 1 in 9 members of our community. And yet every day, businesses in Massachusetts throw away thousands of pounds of healthy, edible food.
Additionally, donating your excess food rather than sending it to compost or landfill can save you waste-hauling costs and you may be eligible for tax incentives.
The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic offers this fact sheet with further information.
Prevent Food Waste By Leftover Food Donation
A study by Food Ministry, Government of India found that about 20% of food at social events such as weddings goes waste. Food waste also occurs at parties, functions and restaurants. This is a sad state of affairs when one considers that two lakh street children in Mumbai go to sleep hungry every day. Therefore, leftover food donation is the need of the hour to counter both malnutrition and food waste!
You may be hosting a wedding or you may be a caterer. You could be running a restaurant. If you expect that food waste may occur, do not hesitate to get in touch in advance with the NGO organizations or institutions listed in ‘Whom Can You Contact?’section below.
Leftover food collection helps to feed the poor
Food banks and food collection NGOs have geared up to tackle the food waste challenge in Indias major cities. They have set up waste leftover food helplines so that restaurants, caterers, wedding venues and party organizers who intimate availability of food for donation.
Often such intimation is given at a late hour and pick up time is also late i.e. after midnight. Despite these hurdles, these food banks and food collection NGOs arrive at the venue, pack the food in containers and transport it in vehicles arranged by them.
Many orphanages, childrens homes and other NGO organizations do not have facilities to undertake leftover food collection. They will be happy to accept the food if it is delivered at their location.
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Where Can I Donate Homemade Food
Bienvenidos Food Bank 3810 Pecos St. Denver, CO 80211 Hours: Wed. 9 to 1 Thurs. 9 to 1 & 3:30 to 6 pm We accept all donations here including fresh, frozen food and larger amounts. Please contact us for large donations or if leaving refrigerated/frozen foods. Drive in the alley well help you unload
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Food Safety & Legal Liability
Food Safety
As long as your excess food was purchased from a licensed food vendor and prepared and handled according to food safety laws and regulations, we can rescue it! Feel free to review our Food Guidelines for more information.
Legal Liability
Donating food is legal and encouraged by the federal government! As a food donor, you are protected under the The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act when you donate food to a charitable organization, such as RLC. There has never been a lawsuit related to donating food. In addition, RLC provides a hold harmless clause in all of our food donor agreements.
Donate Food Find A Location Near You
Find a food donation drop box near you today. The food donation drop box locations can help with all your needs. Contact a location near you for products or services. Reduce methane gases that are more than 30 times worse than CO2 that result from food waste in landfills. Eliminate the waste of natural resources of land, water, and energy used to produce and transport the food you made.
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Which Foods Can Be Donated
- Pre-packaged foods that are non-perishable and fresh, whole fruits and vegetables that have not been cut may be collected for donation and distribution without a permit.
- Certain foods that require time/temperature control for safety may be donated if both the donor and recipient are food permitted facilities and the food has been properly handled at an appropriate temperature. See Food Donation Guidelines for more details and information on which foods are not suitable for donation.
Give Free Meals To Those In Need
Some people are hesitant to visit food banks and other organizations. Maybe they feel embarrassed to seek out help or live too far away from donation centers.
You can help these people by offering free meals directly from your restaurant. All someone has to do is ask for your charity meal, and you will give it with no questions asked.
Many restaurants that offer these meals typically serve simple foods that are filling but inexpensive. Common charity offerings include pasta, soups and bread, sandwiches, and other simple dishes.
While this approach relies on an honor system, it is an effective way to offload inventory and do some good in your neighborhood.
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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.
What Can I Donate
We accept any non-plated food that has been handled in accordance with standard food-safety regulations this can include grocery items, produce, wrapped sandwiches, salads, or prepared food that has been safely brought down to temperature . Please do not donate food that you would not be willing to serve your clients.
We accept both frozen prepared food as well as fresh. Fresh food must be donated within 7 days of preparation. Food must be labeled with either preparation date or expiration/use by date.
Previously prepared foods may be frozen for preservation. Freezing process must adhere to ServSafe® guidelines. Prepared food donations may be packaged in a variety of containers and should be made of food grade/food safe materials. Please use recyclable consumables where possible. All prepared food donations must be labeled with the donor organization name, date prepared, contents , and ingredients and/or potential allergens.
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How To Donate Food To A Food Bank This Thanksgiving
In the coming weeks, families across the country will come together and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. For many of us, Thanksgiving wouldnt be complete without turkey and table full of stuffing, mashed potatoes and other festive sides. But nearly 34 million people faced hunger in 2021. And when you dont have the food you need to thrive, celebrating the holidays can be tough.
If you want to get into the spirit of service for Thanksgiving, donating food to your local food bank is a great way to help your neighbors get food on the table and allow them to create meaningful holiday memories.
Heres how you can help a family put a holiday meal on the table this Thanksgiving:
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.
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Develop A Relationship With Local Food Banks
Organizations need donations, but they have policies and processes to follow. You usually cannot call up unannounced and expect to offload heaps of leftover food.
Make sure to contact several charitable organizations in your area to see what they need and how they accept donations. Some places may only want non-perishable items, while others may take produce and other goods.
To start, you can use Feeding Americas search tool to find food banks near you.
Salvation Army Thrift Store Central Ontario
Offering pick up services in some communities for bulk furniture donations only. We kindly ask donations be dropped off, when possible, at our Donor Welcome Centre located at a Salvation Army Thrift Store near you.
Bulk pick up services can be arranged for donations of furniture items in the following areas:
Brantford : 519.751.7692
Etobicoke : 416.749.1923
Guelph : 519.766.4085
Kitchener : 519.584.0818
Newmarket : 905.830.1656
Niagara Falls : 905.354.8538
Scarborough Eglinton : 416.752.2929
Scarborough Kennedy : 416.751.8050
St Catharines : 905.934.4599
Windsor : 519.258.6938
Please note, we do not currently offer pick-up services for the downtown Toronto area, or other areas not listed.
Requests can also be emailed to: donatetstores.ca. Please include your phone number, address with postal code, and photos of your furniture donation in your email, or contact our central Donation Information Line: 1.888.333.1229
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What To Consider When Donating Food
Some business owners are surprised when an organization rejects their donations. This may discourage restaurateurs from donating again in the future, but it is for good reason.
Restaurants can donate leftovers, but they have to abide by regulations and organizational policies. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture has specific guidelines for donating food. Likewise, organizations like Feeding America require food banks in their networks to follow set guidelines.
Aside from these regulations, review each of these items to ensure organization accept your donations.
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.
Contact Us:
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Rescuing Food For Hungry Californians
Feeding hungry people with donations of extra food is an integral part of resource conservation. Organizations served by food rescue and food bank programs include community centers, soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, senior programs, and childcare centers.
- Food rescue means recovering healthy foods and making fast deliveries to those in need. This is the highest and best use for perishable food. The Fresno Metro Ministry Food Recovery project, which takes excess perishable food to hungry people, is an example.
- Food Finders is a community-based food rescue organization in Southern California, which serves as a conduit, between donors and people in need.
- Food rescue in Southern California also includes Waste Not OC Coalition which works to help meet the nutritional needs of the community by facilitating the donation and distribution of surplus food.
- Food banks are organizations that collect food from a variety of sources, and distribute it to hungry people through local service agencies. The California Association of Food Banks which has a membership of 43 food banks, is one of the leading organizations in California. Major programs include Farm to Family which works with growers and packers to provide fresh produce to banks.
Why Arent Restaurants Donating More Food
Business owners need to worry about liability from all angles – slip and fall, working conditions, and food safety. With so many ongoing concerns, why would a business owner want to add another potential problem to their list of worries?
That being said, Nicole Civita, a professor and director of the Food Recovery Project with the University of Arkansas School of Law states there is no available public record of anyone in the United States being sued or having to pay damages because of harms related to donated food.
In fact, restaurants have legal protection when it comes to donating food. Businesses benefit from the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. As long as the donor does not act with negligence or intentional misconduct, the restaurant is not liable for damage incurred as the result of illness.
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How Do You Deal With Leftovers
Cover leftovers, wrap them in airtight packaging, or seal them in storage containers. These practices help keep bacteria out, retain moisture, and prevent leftovers from picking up odors from other food in the refrigerator. Immediately refrigerate or freeze the wrapped leftovers for rapid cooling.Jul 31, 2020
How Can I Donate Food
You may be wondering: how can I donate food?, this post will cover all of the ways that you can donate food to the people in need. Donating surplus food is one of the best ways that you can help combat food insecurity.
By donating food to fellow Australians in need, you help the Food For Change team fulfil our mission. We are a food charity dedicated to helping alleviate nationwide hunger, in the hope that no individual or family goes without food in the future.
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Whom Can You Contact
Bangalore
Missionaries of Charity
They can accept leftover food donation from outside before 4 pm for 50 of their members, who include children and elderly.
Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, 25 Ashoka Road, St. Thomas Town, Lingarajapuram, Bangalore 560084080-2547 4993.Facebook Page
080-2547 4993
Bangalore
R B Shivakumar
He is a social worker who picks up excess food from weddings as well as other functions to feed the poor in Rajajinagar as well as to old-age homes and orphanages. Only vegetarian food is accepted.
Rajajinagar, Bangalore
Bangalore Chennai Delhi Gurgaon Hyderabad Kolkata Mumbai Navi-Mumbai Thane
Robin Hood Army
Robin Hood Army undertakes leftover food collection from restaurants with whom they have tied up. The food is served by RHA’s volunteers to the homeless and hungry located in the vicinity of each particular restaurant. This service is operational on Sundays.
Bangalore: 98116 09752, Chennai: 98843 17823, Delhi: 99844 44471, 76650 07940, Gurgaon: 98021 19292, Hyderabad: 93971 96134, Kolkata: 99038 56216,Mumbai: 93237 84853, Navi Mumbai: 97699 54143, Thane: 98331 34325, 99203 79321
Chennai Coimbatore Erode Hosur Mettur Salem Tirupur Trichy
SEEDS
They distributed about 4,000 ‘Don’t Waste Food’ posters in restaurants and eating houses in several Tamil Nadu towns, through a network of volunteer students. In the towns listed above, their volunteers are now present and food donation collected is distributed among the needy.
81221 39893, 95004 88803, 74185 17750
Mumbai