Tis the season for food drives, and no doubt most people will want to help out. There are always some considerations that would-be donors should keep in mind when they donate to food drives, as there are some important issues that need to be debated. The major consideration is that you need to think beyond the stereotype; a food bank is something that benefits everyone directly or otherwise. Given that it is a great mercy, it can only help to put some thought into what foods are donated. Here are some suggestions.
1) Know what to give. Try to keep in mind the needs of those looking for food, as not everyone has the same needs. Although most foods are great, you should also debate ethnic foods, especially in areas where there are high concentrations of immigrants; those foods may help someone feel a little more special around this time of year. You should also debate foods specifically for children as well as feeding mothers. For the kids, this means peanut butter, jellies and jams, juice boxes, macaroni and cheese, and pretty much anything for lunches and breakfasts are great. Cannisters and boxes of powdered formula are always welcome. You should also consider: canned meats (such as chicken and tuna), powdered milk, saltine crackers, soups, juices, bags of noodles and rice, spaghetti sauce in almost any form, canned vegetables, and pork and beans.
[Cans are preferred as they are easy to store and don't require refrigeration, something that helps the normally cash-strapped organizations to save a lot of money. They are also easy to check for tampering. If you are debating raw fruits and vegetables inquire first.]
2) Know what not to donate. Obviously frozen and refrigerated foods are off the list. Breads are another item to seriously debate as food pantries have to turn a lot of donated bread away, and they get a lot of bread from grocery stores anyway. Kidney and garbanzo beans should be seriously debated; food pantries get a lot of them because people get a lot of them for food pantries and they can get annoying, especially as not everyone knows how to prepare them. High-end foods should not be donated; not everyone knows what to do with them and staples are more appreciated. Alcohol should not even be considered.
3) When in doubt, cash is always welcome. Food pantries get a lot of bang for their buck when it comes to shopping, and it gives them the ability to adapt to the needs of the community. It is also to easier to write-off when it comes to tax time. Nonetheless, try to keep to foodstuffs as it simplifies the situation, and it keeps everyone trustworthy.
4) Keep in mind local regulations. This applies especially to prepared foods, as most health and safety regulations have issues with any number of different foods. The best example of this is cooked foods: They need to be kept at certain temperatures once they have been prepared or they become unhealthy and susceptible to bacterial growth. This is why such foods have an extremely short shelf life, usually in hours, and are strictly regulated by local law.
Keep this mind when you are donating food and the season should be a happy one indeed for all involved.
1) Know what to give. Try to keep in mind the needs of those looking for food, as not everyone has the same needs. Although most foods are great, you should also debate ethnic foods, especially in areas where there are high concentrations of immigrants; those foods may help someone feel a little more special around this time of year. You should also debate foods specifically for children as well as feeding mothers. For the kids, this means peanut butter, jellies and jams, juice boxes, macaroni and cheese, and pretty much anything for lunches and breakfasts are great. Cannisters and boxes of powdered formula are always welcome. You should also consider: canned meats (such as chicken and tuna), powdered milk, saltine crackers, soups, juices, bags of noodles and rice, spaghetti sauce in almost any form, canned vegetables, and pork and beans.
[Cans are preferred as they are easy to store and don't require refrigeration, something that helps the normally cash-strapped organizations to save a lot of money. They are also easy to check for tampering. If you are debating raw fruits and vegetables inquire first.]
2) Know what not to donate. Obviously frozen and refrigerated foods are off the list. Breads are another item to seriously debate as food pantries have to turn a lot of donated bread away, and they get a lot of bread from grocery stores anyway. Kidney and garbanzo beans should be seriously debated; food pantries get a lot of them because people get a lot of them for food pantries and they can get annoying, especially as not everyone knows how to prepare them. High-end foods should not be donated; not everyone knows what to do with them and staples are more appreciated. Alcohol should not even be considered.
3) When in doubt, cash is always welcome. Food pantries get a lot of bang for their buck when it comes to shopping, and it gives them the ability to adapt to the needs of the community. It is also to easier to write-off when it comes to tax time. Nonetheless, try to keep to foodstuffs as it simplifies the situation, and it keeps everyone trustworthy.
4) Keep in mind local regulations. This applies especially to prepared foods, as most health and safety regulations have issues with any number of different foods. The best example of this is cooked foods: They need to be kept at certain temperatures once they have been prepared or they become unhealthy and susceptible to bacterial growth. This is why such foods have an extremely short shelf life, usually in hours, and are strictly regulated by local law.
Keep this mind when you are donating food and the season should be a happy one indeed for all involved.
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