Best Items to Donate to Thanksgiving and Christmas Canned Goods and Food Drives

Tis the season for giving and my favorite type of giving is food, grocery and personal hygiene donations for food banks and homeless shelters. Here's a list of the canned goods and food donations to give this holiday season. It might seem unnecessary to list suggested items for a food basket. I've put in many hours in food banks, food pantries and shelter missions, however. There are certain food and personal items that are donated in abundance and rarely needed. There are also calls for certain items that it seems there is never enough to fill the calls. Consequently, I've assembled this article.

It's is important to add that paper products, person hygiene, health and beauty aids and household items may not be purchased with food stamps, WIC or a bridge card. I like to donate personal care items. Shampoo, cream rinse, soap, dental floss, toothpaste, toilet paper, napkins, feminine products, dish soap, laundry soap, fabric softener and cleansing powder.

Canned and packaged meal items: One important item that often gets left out in food pantry donations is a protein, meat items or entrees. Consider donating canned or foil packaged tuna, canned salmon, refried beans, kidney beans, pork and beans and canned pasta with meat, chili, corned beef hash, beef stew, canned soups, cream soup, cheese sauce, salsa, and pasta sauce.

Packaged foods: Avoid donating foods like packaged flour or cornmeal. Also, avoid choosing items that may sell on the shelf, but should be refrigerated, such as tortilla shells. Some foods wrapped in paper have meal-worms in them. Choose double wrapped baking supplies: baking mix, breakfast cereal, hot cereal, oatmeal packets, pancake mix, boxed pasta, boxed crackers, beans, rice, cake mix, tea bags, school snacks and syrup.

Canned vegetables and fruit: The most commonly donated canned foods are canned peas, corn and beans. Food shelters have an abundance, so be creative and donate other canned vegetables such as carrots, beets and asparagus. Canned fruit is also a great item to donate: fruit cocktail, peaches, pineapple, pears, cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin pie mix or pumpkin, canned cherry pie filling, Mandarin oranges.

For more about holidays and giving, visit my blogs www.allaboutgiving.blogspot.com and www.thechristmasseason.blogspot.com. And thanks for giving this Thanksgiving!