What Should You Donate To A Food Bank?
Why Cash Helps Food Banks More Than Food
Cash Provides More Meals
Did you know that food banks can get better prices on healthy foods? Thanks to our partnerships with major manufacturers, retailers, and farmers, we can secure below-retail prices. While we appreciate the sentiment of donating food, cash really does go further. Monetary donations also help cover other costs like picking up food, transportation, and more.
Money Donations Build Healthy Communities
Non-perishable items like canned foods and dry pasta are great donations but aren’t as healthy as fresh produce. Our goal isn’t just providing food—we want to ensure we’re contributing to making our communities healthier. Every dollar you donate helps us purchase fresh foods that are vital to the health of our communities.
What You Shouldn’t Donate To A Food Bank
Now that you know what you should donate to your local food bank, let’s cover something that you shouldn’t donate. Here’s a helpful list of items to avoid bringing to a food bank.
- Any food in glass containers
- Bulk items (even nonperishables)
- Candy
- Sugary drinks
- Homemade foods
- Leftovers
- Expired goods
- Canned goods that have a dent, rust, or other signs of damage
- Anything that needs to be refrigerated, like dairy products and meats
Helping Minimize Food Waste
Food waste is no joke. Over 108 billion pounds of food go to waste each year. That’s why we work directly with farmers to secure any fresh produce that might not make it to the grocery store. With your monetary contributions, we can afford to continue supplying families with nutritious food and help create a more sustainable world.
Limited Capacity For
Large Food Donations
Large food donations are thoughtful but may be too much for some food banks. Not every organization has the capacity to take in large amounts of nonperishable foods. If you are looking to donate food near you, contact your local food bank to ensure they can handle it. You may even find out that collecting money for your local food bank is a better option.
Make A Difference In Your Community-
Donate Today
My Pantry Express and Northern Illinois Food Bank are thankful to be part of a vast network of food banks that allow us to obtain healthy foods for our communities. However, this wouldn’t be possible without contributions from people like you who care about their neighbors. Donating food or hosting a food drive is admirable, but oftentimes what food banks really need is monetary donations. We can stretch your dollar further, helping provide more families with nutritious foods and other home goods. Consider making a donation today and see the impact it will have on your community tomorrow.
