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.
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.
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 cant afford them at this time of year are welcome.
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What Happens To Out Of Date Food In Supermarkets Uk
Once food hits its sell-by date, many markets donate products to food banks or sell them to salvage stores. As darkness falls, your local supermarket becomes a hive of activity. From canned vegetables and salad dressings to fresh fruits and deli meats, countless items are removed from shelves by night staff.
Looking For A Convenient Place In Your Neighborhood To Drop Off Your Food Donation To The Food Bank All San Antonio Area Goodwill Stores And Donation Centers Have A San Antonio Food Bank Red Barrel For Your Non
For questions regarding individual and group food donations, please contact:
FOOD & FUND DRIVE COORDINATOR
Contact Us
5200 Enrique M. Barrera PkwySan Antonio, TX 78227210.337.FOOD 210.337.3663 info@safoodbank.orgMonday-Friday | 8 AM – 5 PM
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The San Antonio Food Bank is a 501 non-profit organization providing millions of pounds of food to more than 500 charitable organizations in Southwest Texas serving those in need. In addition to food distribution, the San Antonio Food Bank provides numerous programs that not only solve the immediate problems of hunger, but help individuals and families gain long-term food security.
Privacy Statement
The San Antonio Food Bank values the privacy of our donors and does not copy, reproduce, publish, post, distribute, share or sell, the name, personal contact information or description of donors to any outside individual or business. Exceptions are those required by law, requested in grant applications or in connection with bank credit or debit card transactions made with prior knowledge or consent of the donor.
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How Long Can You Keep Canned Food After Expiration Date
Canned Goods The expiry date of canned foods usually indicates three years from when it’s been shelved, but you can consume them past the date for up to four more years. Make sure to keep your canned goods in a cool, dry spot thoughand if there are any dents, rust or leaking, that’s when it’s time to ditch the goods.
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Food Vs Financial Donations
Coordinating a food & funds drive with your family business, school, church, or community organization can make a difference in the life of people who are hungry. Learn more about hosting a food & funds drive. For additional information on food drives, please contact Alex Branham at 330.436.3170.
All food drive donations are inspected three unique times by our team of skilled volunteers before the items can be distributed to our network of hunger-relief partners. These volunteers are looking to ensure that the food items havent been tampered with, recalled and are within the appropriate timeline to distribute according to the date printed on the food item. At the Foodbank, we want to ensure the food we distribute is food we would be proud to bring home to our own families.
Financial donations have an immediate impact by providing meals. Since we are in the business of receiving surplus food, financial donations allow us to purchase items to complement our varying menu while aiding in the process of rescuing and distributing food to our neighbors in need. While both food and financial donations are extremely necessary and valued, because of our large purchasing power, we can make your dollar go further. Every dollar donated to the Foodbank is the equivalent of four meals.
Your donations are protected against liability. View information on the Ohio Good Samaritan Law that protects food donors in Ohio.
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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Do Canned Foods Really Expire
The guidelines note that while food in cans “retains its safety and nutritional value well beyond two years,” its color and texture may change after that time. … Canned foods do not expire on a certain date, explained Giles. One cannot say that the canned food is good on one day and not good the next day.
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.
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Foods Most Needed At Food Banks
Take a look at the following list of the most needed food items at food banks all across the country. Then take a look at the excess in your cupboards, whatever the best before date, and see if there is a donation just waiting to happen.
Each and every item on the most wanted list has an EatByDate that is far beyond its best before date. Many of these items can last years beyond any date printed anywhere on them. Someone should make use of these items!
The food waste problem needs help from every angle. So, if this is where you can pitch in, then find the nearest food bank and donate whatever youve got. They will take it . Use the pages of EatByDate to find out if foods have actually gone bad before donating. After all, thats what the food banks do.
Let Us Get It Into Hungry Hands Who Need It
Our warehouse receiving hours are 9 AM 3 PM Monday through Saturday. If you are going to drop off a donation, please be mindful of a few guidelines:
For individual/personal donations: We accept canned food items no more than 4 years expired. Shelf stable dairy items must be no more than 1 year expired. We cannot accept anything already open . All items must be in clean, unopened condition.
If you are a business looking to donate food, or have unserved leftovers from an event, please see below for more guidelines. We schedule pickups for over 100 LBS of food to coordinate a pickup please email or call 226-8061, leave a voicemail and we will get back to you. Sunday donations are by appointment only. Thank you for your support!
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Central Texas Food Bank
The Central Texas Food Bank supplies food in 21 counties in Texas, distributing over 3.1 million pounds of food to around 16,000 people each month. It doesnt focus only on supplying food to those in need, but also on culinary training and garden education programs for anyone interested. Its goal is to provide its community members with life skills that will enable them to find success. The Central Texas Food Bank doesnt only work on a state level, but a federal one as well it has a government advocacy program to encourage political leaders to work to end hunger.
How to donate food to Central Texas Food Bank:
Food donations can be made at the headquarters in Austin Texas. Canned goods of any kind can be donated to its kitchen from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Central Texas Food Banks address is:
6500 Metropolis Drive
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Good Samaritan Act Provides Liability Protection For Food Donations
Food donations to help those in need have been an important part of Americas safety net during the challenges posed by COVID-19. Did you know that the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act of 1996 provides limited liability protection for people who make good faith donations of food and grocery products to nonprofits that feed the hungry? The act also provides limited liability protection, both civil and criminal, for those who distribute food and groceries, such as food banks.
If you have not heard about this act, you are not alone. This lack of awareness of the Good Samaritan Act prompted Congress in the 2018 Farm Bill to call for USDA to raise awareness of the liability protection afforded by the act. As USDAs Food Loss and Waste Liaison, I am leading outreach efforts to let businesses involved with food donations from farm-to-fork know about this limited liability protection.
In order to receive protection under the act, a person or gleaner must donate in good faithapparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery products to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals. It does not cover direct donations to needy individuals or families. The act also provides protection against civil and criminal liability to the nonprofit organizations that receive such donated items in good faith.
So, what does this really mean? Lets take one bite at a time.
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Foods Suitable For Donation
Home-Prepared Foods
DONATED FOOD DISTRIBUTING ORGANIZATIONS are not allowed to accept or serve most types of homeprepared foods. However, homemade baked goods that do not need refrigeration to remain safe may be received from DONORS.
Commercially Packaged Foods Not Needing Refrigeration
The donation of commercially canned, boxed, and otherwise packaged foods is encouraged.
Fresh Produce Donations
Food donations may include fresh produce, including home-grown fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce should be protected from contamination and receive final preparation, such as washing and cutting, in a DONOR KITCHEN or licensed kitchen.
Food Prepared in a DONOR KITCHEN
Except for baked goods , DONATED FOOD DISTRIBUTING ORGANIZATIONS may not accept foods prepared in a home kitchen. Instead, foods for donation should be prepared in either a DONOR KITCHEN or a commercial food establishment, such as a restaurant.
A DONOR KITCHEN is a publicly available kitchen in a faith-based organization, community center, or other site. The DONOR KITCHEN does not need to have a health permit, but must have basic facilities such as adequate handwashing, dishwashing, refrigeration, and cooking equipment. It must have a safe water supply, be protected from weather and animals, and be cleaned before food preparation starts.
Uninspected Meat Donations
Food Donation by Licensed Food Establishments
Food Donation by Food Processors
Distressed Foods
Second Harvest Food Bank
Second Harvest Food Banks can be found all over the nation. Although each Food Bank is its own entity, they all work together to serve those that are food insecure and aim to develop struggling communities. They collect millions of pounds of food each year, taking donations from grocery stores to limit their waste stream, from farmers if they have excess produce, and from individuals in food drives. The food banks often provide health management classes and help find pediatric care when needed.
How to donate food to Second Harvest Food Bank:
To find out if there is a Second Harvest Food Bank near you, conduct a Google Search with your area or state name and type in Second Harvest Food Bank. This will aid you in finding the address of the nearest one as well as their individual requirements for dropping off food donations.
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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.
Where Can I Donate Canned Food
Here are 6 places where you can donate canned foods when you move
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Can You Feed Canned Meat To Livestock
If the canned food has expired and its contents have gone bad then do not feed your livestock with it. On the other hand, if the canned food is expired but it only tastes a little bit off than it is safe to feed the livestock. Just keep in mind what kind of expired canned foods you feed to your livestock, canned meats should not be fed …
Do Not Donate Expired Canned Food
Donating canned food is not the best way to help others, even if the canned food is not expired they still have to be categorized, stored, and so on before it reaches the people who need it the most. On the other hand, there are some people who will simply donate expired canned foods, and at that point, they would better be off just throwing it away. Most charities that accept food donation will check the expiration date of the canned foods, and if they are expired they will simply throw it away.
Rather than the charity workers feeding the needy, they will have to check every canned food and throw out the expired ones, so it is not a good idea to send them expired canned food as you will actually hinder their process of helping others. In addition to not donating expired canned foods, you should also not donate canned foods that are close to expiry, as these canned foods will stay some time in storage before they end up in the hands of the people who need them.
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Foods To Avoid Donating
Do not send any baby formula or adult nutrition that is past its best before date. They will not take these because they are not allowed to redistribute these.
There are some items that food banks would rather not deal with, expired or not. Items to avoid sending food banks include anything packed in glass, candy, and sugary drinks. This list could vary by food bank or food donation station, but many places do avoid these items so keep that in mind.
Since food banks are usually run by county, its a good idea to check their website for questionable items before proceeding.
Why Did People Cut Their Meals
96% reported that an adult had cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food, and 88% reported that this had occurred in three or more months. 93% of respondents reported that they had eaten less than they felt they should because there was not enough money for food.
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