Happy Foodie Friday, y’all! This week’s post is going to be a bit more serious. As we head into the holiday season, many people around the world don’t have much to celebrate, especially after recent events. But I am asking each of you to do a little something to help make your community a bit better. What is that? Donate to your local food bank, food pantry, etc. Are you unsure what to donate? Then you came to the right place, as this week I’m going to share an extensive list of food bank donation ideas. I will break down the list into different categories to make it easier.
With the cost of living skyrocketing, food banks see more requests for assistance. Canadian food banks have seen an increase of around 40% since before the pandemic started.
Let’s look at an extensive list of food bank donation ideas!
Traditional Donations
Traditional donations are the requests that you will see most often from food banks. There is nothing wrong with these donations because they are traditional for a reason!
- Canned Beans
- Canned Vegetables
- Canned Fruit
- Canned Pasta Sauce
- Canned Meat
- Canned Fish
- Rice
- Pasta
- Peanut Butter
- Cereal
- Tea & Coffee
- Juice
New Ideas
These new ideas consider people’s diet preferences, food sensitivities, and lifestyles.
- Gluten-Free Items
- Organic Items
- Nut-Free Items
- Milk Alternatives
- Spices & Seasonings
- Fresh Produce/Bread/Dairy/Meat
- Baby Food
- Pet Food
- Gift Cards & Money
- Your Time
Celebratory Ideas
People who turn to food banks for assistance still want to help their loved ones celebrate special days. And this list contains items for birthdays and holidays.
- Hot Chocolate
- Cider
- Evaporated Milk
- Condensed Milk
- Gelatin Mix
- Baking Mixes
- Honey
- Syrup
- Cooking Oils
- Frosting
- Chocolate Chips
- Sprinkles
Self Care Items
Self-care items are probably one of food banks’ most requested and least donated items.
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- Diapers
- Deodorant
- Razors
- Shaving Cream
- Soap
- Shampoo
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
Before purchasing and donating anything to your local food bank, make sure they accept the items, especially items from the celebratory and self-care items. Another thing to consider is package sizes, as families come in all variations.
Additional Resources
Here are some additional resources to help you on your journey.
- USA: U.S. Hunger Relief Organization | Feeding America
- CANADA: Food Rescue Charity In Canada | Second Harvest
- CANADA: Home – Food Banks Canada
- INTERNATIONAL: UN World Food Programme (WFP)
And that is an extensive list of food bank donation ideas. Is there anything I missed? Happy holidays y’all!
Are you looking for more food-related content? Check out my other Foodie Fridays posts.
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Great ideas! Our food bank gets a LOT of donations from local grocery stores and restaurants, but they always need more, especially the more specialized items like you listed.
Great list! I’ve been donating money to my local food bank lately, since I’m never sure what they need most. I hadn’t considered the specialized items before. I’ll also have to check to see if my local food bank takes donations of self-care items.