What should you donate to a food bank?

Question

I know they take most any non-perisable food, and I am sure people are grateful for anything, but I know I wouldn't want to eat rice and beans and canned corn.

Can you donate things like those little meals that you microwave for a few seconds and they have things like chicken and mashed potatoes in them? What about things like brownie mix, or cake mix? Cookies? I dunno, I think families would appreciate some sweets for their kids too, but does the food bank frown on non-healthy donations? Thoughts?

Answer 1

peas

corn

Answer 2

The problem is usually about storage & cooking facilities.

Those 'meals' have to be kept frozen & microwaved.

Besides, they are not good value or good nutritionally.

Food banks need the real basics: pasta, canned meat/fish, canned vegetables/fruit, peanut butter, baby food, hygeine articles, etc.

Some have limited supplies of bread, fruit, eggs, etc.

Answer 3

I have been living in poverty for 41 years and yes, by all means, donate brownie, cookie, or cake mix!  And thank you for your thoughtfulness that poor people like to have a treat every now and then too and can get kind of sick of Top Ramen and macaroni and cheese out of a box.

Food banks try to give a balanced diet, but in my town at least they will also put in sweets if they are available.  And I have yet to hear anyone complain when they get a few candy bars or a box of cookies or donuts.

Traditional staples of the food bank include rice, pasta, beans, and lots of canned vegetables.  You can still donate those, but I tell you, I always end up with plenty of those things, so much that it is hard to eat them all (how much spaghetti can a family eat? I have pounds and pounds of pasta stacked up).

Whether or not you can donate perishable items to your local food bank depends on its programs.  The food banks in my town have developed a system to have perishable (fresh vegetables, dairy, and frozen) foods distributed.  They even receive donations from restaurants.  Maybe you have some time to volunteer to help set up such a system in your town if it doesn't have one already.  That would really be helpful to the hungry people to be able to get fresh vegetables, milk and other dairy products, and frozen foods.  At my food bank, I have received milk, yogurt, cheese, frozen chicken patties, salmon steaks, fresh potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatos and other vegetables, and even beef roasts and ice cream!  (Though roasts and ice cream are rare as you might imagine.)

I have to tell you, though, right now, with the price of food going up and up -- which means there is more demand at the food bank at the same time donations are dropping -- anything edible (or money to buy something edible) you donate will be appreciated and gratefully received by those who are hungry and right now facing threat of greater hunger.

Answer 4

That is great that you want to donate stuff like that. I would just make sure that it is not perishable. I would also stay away from mixes, unless it is just add water. Imagine the little kids getting a special treat, they would be so happy!

Answer 5

My sister works with challenged kids at

school. some are abused, drug and alcohol syndrome children in A Z . We

worked at a food bank feeding 145 people one hot nov.night. mac/cheese

gr beans salad corn bread cakes water

all kinds of fruits. They are hungry and grateful people.

My suggestion (that will give you the most satisfaction ) Ask to sponsor a needy family. We did thanks to my sister in A Z . She bought this family living in a hotel basic food products,

plus many items where given to her from local food bank. The needs of the

poor are simple . Your reward will be

with GOD !!! Good luck

Answer 6

Your best source for information is your local food bank. Different areas have different critical needs, so contact them and ask.

I must admit that I'm not a big fan of donating the single-serving microwave meals you've asked about. For one thing; unless there are several of them available, it is difficult to easily distribute them. Secondly, they tend to have very high salt content and very high simple carbohydrate content, and are not always well balanced meals.

Cake and brownie mixes are nice treats.

I have two small food pantries in my area where I donate food; and I'll often collect items to prepare a meal and put the meal items in a bag. For example: Whole grain pasta (16 oz), a bottle of olive oil, a jar of spaghetti sauce, spices (like dried onion flakes and dried garlic flakes), large can of italian green beans, jar of peaches or pears, cake mix and icing. I've done similar things with beans and rice; ingredients to make soup, I sometimes add canned meat of some sort to add to sauces or soups.

For our large food bank; I stick to their request for critical items:

CRITICAL NEED ITEMS (Nonperishable)

Meals in a Can

Nonfat Dry Milk

Oatmeal

Canned Meats/Poultry

Evaporated Milk Drinks

Canned Tuna

Peanut Butter

Nutritional Drinks

Dry Beans

Canned Veggies

Canned Soup

Pasta/Macaroni

Canned Fruit

Diapers

Rice

Beef Stew

Baby Food

~From: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Food Drive booklet

http://www.foodbankcentralflorida.org/PD...