<p>Here is a good article with some suggestions for items that would be appreciated and helpful when donating to food banks:</p>
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<p>Read more: [Food</a> pantry Christmas list includes rice, tuna](<a href=“http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/11/21/national/a000303S21.DTL#ixzz1eMBXyHYd]Food”>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/11/21/national/a000303S21.DTL#ixzz1eMBXyHYd)</p>
<p>timely post
I am always impressed when I look at the donation barrel at my local grocery store, I am more likely to donate dried or canned beans or other proteins, but others are donating really nice stuff like fancy condiments I don’t even buy for myself!
Way to go!</p>
<p>a timely thread… The food banks are in great need during these poor economic times. The donations are not keeping up with the need. For those who are having an easier time this holiday season please remember that many people who are using the food banks are people just like yourself who have lost good jobs. There are also many college students who are coming in. The food stapels are much appreciated and always in demand. The food bank I help out in is always low on cereals, oatmeal, tuna, and detergent. There needs to be consideration for the location of the area being served. As an example some areas would prefer whole grain products over processed foods while other areas are more inclined to incorporate white rice into their meals. The food is always appreciated and it goes especially fast during the holiday season.</p>
<p>Our local food bank publishes a calendar of monthly food requests. January is tuna, February is canned soup, etc. They say it really helps them manage their inventory. Other food banks may do the same, so check their websites. Of course, any donations would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Re. donations: I’ve been at our foodbank’s “sorting events” where they go through boxes and crates of donated items, canned goods, etc. IF you are just going through your shelves and want to participate in a food drive by donating any of the items listed above (particularly canned proteins), that’s fantastic–especially the ones further from expiration. </p>
<p>HOWEVER…if you are at the store and trying to decide what to PURCHASE for donation–see if there’s something like a “check out hunger” or “donate $1/$3/$5” slip. The foodbank has better purchasing power than you or I could ever achieve: ours can stretch $1 donation to buy $9.80’s worth of food, through wholesale connections. It’s something to consider–$5/month is almost $600 worth of groceries in a year.</p>
<p>Good ideas, mothek.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that things like shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels and laundry detergent are not covered by food stamps. Those are especially welcome donations.</p>
<p>^ good point! Also:</p>
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<p>Source: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. “SNAP Benefits” = food stamps, but now there’s a swipe card issued, no more paper stamps.</p>
<p>So donators might be extra aware of these federal restrictions as things TO give (not medicines, obviously), if your local food bank will accept them as donations. Also to consider the inventory requests from each area’s local food bank as possible priorities, as my-3-sons noted.</p>
<p>Mothek, I didn’t know that about the amplified purchasing power of $$ cash when donated to food banks. Very helpful to know.</p>
<p>Thanks for posting this zoosermom
It is a good time to remind us what we can do to help those of us less fortunate
I’m a little surprised to not see items such as toilet paper and paper towels
I try to go to the BJ’s and use their coupons to get things because the $$ goes a lot further than the regular grocery store</p>
<p>Our church suggests thinking through the donation of an entire meal and not just canned vegetables. Some ideas:</p>
<p>Breakfast: cereral (hot or cold), canned fruit, juice (plastic bottle, box, can) and boxed milk
Lunch: PB&J, tuna
Dinner: Pasta or rice, canned sauce, canned beans, canned vegetables, bisquick, dessert mixes.</p>
<p>I would highly recommend volunteering for a shift at a food pantry to have a better understanding of what good & bad donations. (top of ‘bad’ list: anything in glass or crushable packaging).</p>
<p>There was a newspaper article here recently about the local foodbank. Thrust of the article was, they are running out of food because demand is high and supplies are low (for food donations). The thing that surprised me was the quote that, “Powdered milk is powdered gold” … apparently powdered milk is their most in demand item. I am not sure why.</p>
<p>here is the article:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/17/2781164/hunger-rises-but-not-donations.html#storylink=misearch[/url]”>http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/17/2781164/hunger-rises-but-not-donations.html#storylink=misearch</a></p>
<p>here is the quote on powdered milk…
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<p>Thanks for starting this thread, zoosermom.</p>
<p>I just want to add, please keep this going after the holidays. There are a lot of food drives taking place right now (all good) but hunger is a year round problem.</p>
<p>njres- I had never thought about powdered milk, thanks for the suggestion.</p>
<p>I stock up on my typical food drive donations when my local grocery chain (ShopRite) has its semi-annual CanCan sales. You can buy a case of canned veggies (including beans) for <$5 and 2-3 boxes of pasta for $1. I keep this food on top of our basement pantry cabinet, so kids know that its fair game for school food drives. This is a win-win for everyone.</p>
<p>I often use coupons and sales to stock up on items, especially health & beauty, laundry, and paper items. These are items that many of the shelters need on an ongoing basis. It’s usually possible to get these items for free simply by going against the conventional wisdom of buying the largest size (lowest cost per unit) and buying the smallest size instead (coupon covers the entire cost). For example, those $1 off toothpaste coupons will buy a 4 oz regular toothpaste even when it’s not on sale. Similarly, when department stores send me their $10 of anything type coupons, I stop in and pick up household items for the refugee shelter or Ronald McDonald house. I usually have a box full of useful quality items to drop off in a few months. For those of us on a tight budget, it’s one way to donate items and still have cash left to donate to other colleges (I mean, causes)!</p>
<p>I agree with mothek. The food banks have much better buying power than we do, so even if all you can afford to give is $5, it is appreciated and will go a lot further than the $5 in groceries we can buy then donate.</p>
<p>More info about my state’s umbrella foodbank, which started in 1975 out of the trunk of a woman’s car. She was quite a visionary.</p>
<p>[Community</a> FoodBank of New Jersey | Fighting Hunger and Poverty](<a href=“http://www.njfoodbank.org/]Community”>http://www.njfoodbank.org/)</p>
<p>They were a clearinghouse for 9/11 donations; they’ve been involved in disaster relief. Currently they feed almost a million people in New Jersey, but they also sponsor clothing and school supplies and have job training programs, as well (give a man a fish vs. teach a man to fish, etc.). I can’t say enough good things about this organization.</p>
<p>I have to follow up on my earlier post. After last week’s newspaper article described how the need at food banks was up while donations were down, there was an outpouring of local donations of cash and food, so for the moment the shelves are stocked again. :)</p>
<p>From today’s paper:
Donors across Charlotte rush to get aid to food pantries
[Donors</a> across Charlotte rush to get aid to food pantries | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper](<a href=“http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/22/2795245/donors-across-charlotte-rush-to.html]Donors”>http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/11/22/2795245/donors-across-charlotte-rush-to.html)</p>
<p>We have a small food pantry in the town where I live and donations pour in from October through Christmas and then dry up after that. The sort of solution is drop boxes at the local library and both post offices. I know that if I see my library drop box looking low, I will bring in some items.</p>
<p>I hope residents here respond the way those in Charlotte did. An urgent appeal was printed in the Sunday paper for the city we live near, in the next county. Our county is doing well, but neighboring counties are having a tough time. When I dropped off our donations at the fire station, their collection bin was less than a quarter full.</p>
<p>When we lived in hurricane country, we stocked a footlocker with nonperishables before the start of each hurricane season. When the season ended in November, we donated everything (most items had multi-year shelf lives.) It was an easy way for us to remember to share and to keep our emergency supplies current.</p>
<p>I fully agree with giving money rather than food. My local FB can buy huge quantities and great discount. They even take donations online.</p>
<p>One thing I found out when I was running the elementary school food drive was that the funky things we send in (the oddly-flavored jars of jam, pickled asparagus, “gourmet this and that”) are really hard to give away.</p>