Need ideas on what to buy for donations - Non perishable only

[disneyofcourse]

Hey everyone! Our mail carrier just left us a bag for us to donate goods for the local food bank. I'm just having a hard time figuring out what I should buy! So far the only things I can come up with are canned peaches, canned pears, apple sauce packets, instant rice packets, tuna fish cans, soups. I'm running out to walmart after work tomorrow to grab this stuff so up until then I'd love to hear ideas. Also, I assume its ok to donate extra bags of stuff correct? It doesn't need to be in the one bag they provided, or does it?

Has anyone worked at a food bank? What do you guys need the most?

 

[clh2]

While the needs for our food banks vary greatly, depending on what they have in stock, the items you have listed are great. Ours also like pasta, mac 'n cheese, peanut butter. Spaghetti sauce is a good one, but I don't like to do that when there is a big food drive, I prefer to stick with cans not glass jars.

Another thing, baby food is always needed!

Thanks for helping!

 

[CTdiznymom]

I'll be leaving a grocery bag for our postman too. Some of the items I usually leave are:
canned goods instead of glass items
envelope packages of rice dishes
instant potatos
salt, pepper
cake mixes w/ frostings
pasta
pancake/waffle mixes
Jiffy cornbread or muffin mixes
BJ-Costco sized seasonings

Hope this helps.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Pretty much any canned good that you would stock your pantry with would be good. But no corn. At least that's what my kids' school said this past year when they held their annual canned food drive. Apparently the food bank that they donated to had more than enough canned corn and didn't want any more.

 

[luvmy3]

I will be leaving pasta, canned spaghetti sauce, rice, cereal and oatmeal.

 

[tinytink]

Our local food bank has requested canned meats, veggies, fruits, beans, dry beans, powdered milk, pasta, rice, cereal, baby food. Basically anything that does not require refrigeration. They do take whole fruits and veggies but you will have to bring those directly to them and stock in the fridge yourself. Thanks for thinking of other less fortunate.

 

[Kae]

At walmart I get those all one one box dinners they have meat in them-Chicken & biscuits type things. Canned Spagetti Sauce, Corn Bread mix, Jiffy or Bisquick, peanut butter & Velvetta does not have to be refriderated, The deluxe Mac & cheese doesn't have to have milk or butter added.

Kae

 

[MousekaMaddi]

peanut butter for sure

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Our town's pantry is in the church where I work. The needs flucuate SO much. They'll go through spats where they need protein items (peanut butter, tuna, canned meats....) desparately. Currently they are completely overflowing in tuna. Similar cycles gone through with spaghetti and sauce. It's (pardon the pun) usually feast or famine. Ours gets constant donations of canned corn and peas... but those are often the things going out just as fast....

Point being- if you know where the food will go, I'd give them a quick call and ask. If not- they'll likely to be able to use any canned/boxed food stuff you leave for them! It's sad how much more use our pantry has seen this year. I know they are grateful for any and all donations!

The two things they consistantly do not want are cranberry sauce and canned pumpkin. These get donated in excess around Thanksgiving time and extras just sit around taking up space the rest of the year.

General recommendations I'd offer from the "trends" at work- they try to encourage healthier foods (eg cheerios over Fruit Loops, healthier snacks such as pretzels vs potato chips...) BUT "health foods" or "exotic" ones tend not to get taken. The users are looking for familiar things that they know how to cook/know they will like since they are limited in the amount they can take each visit.

Things often not donated- breakfast cereals, health/beauty products (toothpaste, shampoo...), laundy detergent (this is a biggie, more people tend to donate alot of small items vs $5 bottles of detergent...), formula, diapers and things kids can take to school for snacks.

PS most definitely does not need to fit in the bag they left! When we do our scout food drives, we actually end up repacking everything in boxes as soon as we pick it up anyway. If you have a lot and an empty box, I'd put it in there. But more then the bag- defintely will be welcome!

 

[vegasnative]

I know pancake syrup is a good one to get. I'll be putting some in my bag for Sat. for the mail carrier to pick up.
I usually always put a few cans of veggies, some boxes of rice or pasta, chef boyardee stuff for kids. Last year I learned that pancake syrup is an item that goes fast in the food banks and is rarely given, so now I know to always include that, it is something I would have never really thought of.

 

[lilsweetpea]

I'm not sure about other food banks, but I recently volunteered at a large food bank and they THROW AWAY anything in a plastic container or a foil pack. That includes, single serve applesauce in plastic, fruit cups, tuna packs, etc. They can't accept it. If the box is ripped or the can is dented at all, it gets thrown away as well. My recommendation is to stick with cans and boxes that are in good condition. As for the other items, I would call the food bank to be sure you aren't wasting your donation.

 

[disneychrista]

beans, rice, dry pasta, canned veggies & fruits, canned meats, cereal, crackers, peanut butter, jelly.

The ideas are limitless...

 

[eclairemom]

What about baby food?

 

[wishtdream]

What about baby food?

our food bank only takes cases of baby food. they toss the individual packs in the trash.

 

[mybabesuz]

Our Local Food Pantry loves to get:

Pasta and Cans of sauce
Mac and Cheese
Cans of Soup
Cans of Veges
PeanutButter and Jelly

 

[PatsMom]

My mother volunteers at a local food pantry and that is where I always send my excess toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, sanitary pad, etc. from CVS. That is what I will be donating this week, along with a few bottles of laundry detergent. They repackage that into smaller containers. She tells me that there is always a big demand for items you can't buy with food stamps.

 

[Newfie2000]

I know this sounds wierd... but I am actually jealous of all of you! About four years ago I learned about the post office food drive. I made photocopies of the article and put a copy in every one of our tenants mailboxes. We have 15 tenants. I also provided copies to both large buildings on either side. The day arrived and I was anxious to see how my efforts paid off. There was bags of food waiting at each door for the mail carrier and I was excited. But the bags remained... she apparently did not want to participate in the program and did not bother to call anyone else at the PO. What a bummer, not to say I was really embarrassed. Talk about feeling like an idiot. But every year since I pack up a bag and leave it out on the specified day and it is never taken. In fact two years ago I found my bag put in the dumpster at the back of the building. I guess I won't bother this year. But I find it aggravating that the PO endorses this and then allows their carriers to maintain this kind of attitude. I know she could not possibly take/carry it all but I thought a call would be put in to the PO which is only about 8 blocks away. I wish things had gone differently because I was truly excited about the opportunity and these experiences have unfortunately left a very bad taste in my mouth...

 

[PatsMom]

I know this sounds wierd... but I am actually jealous of all of you! About four years ago I learned about the post office food drive. I made photocopies of the article and put a copy in every one of our tenants mailboxes. We have 15 tenants. I also provided copies to both large buildings on either side. The day arrived and I was anxious to see how my efforts paid off. There was bags of food waiting at each door for the mail carrier and I was excited. But the bags remained... she apparently did not want to participate in the program and did not bother to call anyone else at the PO. What a bummer, not to say I was really embarrassed. Talk about feeling like an idiot. But every year since I pack up a bag and leave it out on the specified day and it is never taken. In fact two years ago I found my bag put in the dumpster at the back of the building. I guess I won't bother this year. But I find it aggravating that the PO endorses this and then allows their carriers to maintain this kind of attitude. I know she could not possibly take/carry it all but I thought a call would be put in to the PO which is only about 8 blocks away. I wish things had gone differently because I was truly excited about the opportunity and these experiences have unfortunately left a very bad taste in my mouth...

I don't limit my giving to just the post office drive - in fact the post office doesn't deliver mail to my house. I have to take my contribution to their drive to the post office when I pick up my mail. But I regularly donate things to the food pantry. Sometimes its just stuff I get free or near free at CVS. But sometimes when there is a good sale (like last week at a local market I was buying Near East Rice Pilaf for about twenty five cents a box after the sale, store coupons and manufacturer's coupons. Picked up about 30 boxes and donated 20 of them. I guess it just makes me feel like I've done something nice that didn't cost me very much money.

 

[Todd&Copper]

I know this sounds wierd... but I am actually jealous of all of you! About four years ago I learned about the post office food drive. I made photocopies of the article and put a copy in every one of our tenants mailboxes. We have 15 tenants. I also provided copies to both large buildings on either side. The day arrived and I was anxious to see how my efforts paid off. There was bags of food waiting at each door for the mail carrier and I was excited. But the bags remained... she apparently did not want to participate in the program and did not bother to call anyone else at the PO. What a bummer, not to say I was really embarrassed. Talk about feeling like an idiot. But every year since I pack up a bag and leave it out on the specified day and it is never taken. In fact two years ago I found my bag put in the dumpster at the back of the building. I guess I won't bother this year. But I find it aggravating that the PO endorses this and then allows their carriers to maintain this kind of attitude. I know she could not possibly take/carry it all but I thought a call would be put in to the PO which is only about 8 blocks away. I wish things had gone differently because I was truly excited about the opportunity and these experiences have unfortunately left a very bad taste in my mouth...

You can call your PO today and ask if they will be doing the collecting tomorrow. Say you left a bag out last year that someone threw int he dumpster, and before you do anything this year, you wanted to see if your PO was participating. [Who knows, maybe you will get your carrier in trouble. ]