Donated meals is crucial to any meals financial institution. Whether or not it’s canned greens or a field of cereal, these donated merchandise go straight into the neighborhood with out utilizing the Meals Financial institution’s donated {dollars} to buy meals merchandise. As soon as donated, your contribution shall be sorted by our devoted volunteers and distributed to our community of greater than 600 Companions the place they are going to be obtainable for our Center and West Tennessee neighbors susceptible to starvation.
However not simply something may be accepted by a meals financial institution for donation. You need to know a few issues about meals donation and Meals Drives earlier than you clear out your cabinet.
Please ensure you are solely donating non-perishable objects. This implies any canned or dried meals that might be thought-about “shelf-stable” and haven’t handed the “sell-by” date printed on the packaging.
A few of Second Harvest’s most-needed objects embrace:
- Peanut Butter (or different nut butters)
- Canned Rooster or Tuna
- Canned Greens
- Canned Fruit
- Dried pasta
- Raw Rice
- Canned or Dried Beans
- Cereal
These are all objects which can be excessive in dietary worth, simply accessible for individuals with bodily disabilities, and have an extended shelf-life. This stuff are important to pair alongside recent produce, dairy, and protein for a balanced weight-reduction plan with out requiring common grocery visits which can be tough for these with out dependable transportation or who’ve mobility points.
There are additionally a number of objects Second Harvest can not settle for as meals donations for numerous causes:
- Refrigerated objects
- Expired meals
- Leftovers
- Baked items
- Recent produce
- Something in a glass container
This stuff usually are not accepted as a result of they might not be simply transportable or won’t be protected for consumption by the point they’re distributed to our Accomplice Companies.
Now that you already know the in’s and out’s of meals donation, it’s time to become involved! Second Harvest provides some ways to interact your neighborhood and be a part of the combat in opposition to starvation.
