Things to Donate to a Food Bank

During this difficult economic time when things like gasoline cost three times as much as it used to and groceries have reached an all time record high price, there are many families that struggle to make ends meet. While the US has many programs designed to help people in times of need, they often fall short of helping as much as they could and reaching those who need it the most. Local food banks often times are the lifeline of families that have to choose between buying food and having other necessities like electricity, water, rental payments, medication, gas to get back and forth to work or doctor appointments among other things. These programs depend on local contributions now more than ever to assist the communities they serve. For people that want to help, here are some suggestions for donating items that are most in need for many community food banks:

- canned meats. Meat is probably one of the hardest things for people in need to get. Many food banks cannot accept donations of meat that can be frozen because of storage issues and because they expire quickly.

-boxed instant meals. These are very cheap and sold at any grocery chain. Choose the kind that already include the meat that is needed for the meal and have instructions that just add water as the person receiving them may not have access to other cooking ingredients like milk and eggs.

- bottled water. Easily stored and can be used by people who do not have water to prepare meals. Bottled water can be distributed with instant meals, tea bags, powdered baby formula and other items that need water for preparation.

- tea bags. Reasonably cheap and healthier than canned sodas, tea makes a nice solution for adding variety to drinks for people needing assistance. Any variety, caffeinated or none is much appreciated. Also often asked for items like this include individual instant coffees, flavored drinks and koolaid mixes.

- canned vegetables with pull tops. Pull tops makes access to the cans easier for elderly people who are often helped by food banks and may not be able to use a can opener and people living in temporary housing such as a motel that don't have access to one.

- powdered milk and eggs. These go a lot further than the none powdered versions, can be easily stored without fear of expiration and are a cheaper solution for those who need them as cooking ingredients than the none powdered kinds.

- individually portioned food items. Things such as vegetables, applesauce and canned meats as well as instant meals such as beef stew and chicken and dumplings now come in individually portioned sizes, which are great for senior citizens and single individuals seeking assistance with food. They are also easily stored without fear of expiration and cases can be portioned out to help several people. Many items of these type come in microwavable versions which makes it easier for senior citizens to prepare.

-dried boxed or bagged fruits. Healthier as a snack than cookies or chips, these are great for adding variety to the diet of people that are seeking assistance, and are a healthy alternative for families with children. Many seniors ask for things like dried raisins, prunes, apricots, and trail mix when applying for assistance because of special dietary needs.

-cooking supplies. Some people asking for assistance may have basic food supplies but cant afford to buy additional items needed to cook them meals such as cooking oil or seasonings. Flour, cornmeal and sugar fall into this category as well, though if donating items of this type, smaller sizes need to be considered since they won't be asked for as often as other items.

- boxed food. Consider donating items such as instant mashed potatoes, individually bagged instant rice, oatmeal, pastas, hot cereals, mac n cheese etc. rather than items like hamburger helper or instant corn bread mix which require ingredients other than water to make.

- dried beans. Very nutritional and easily stored as well as simple to cook.

Other good ideas for donating to food banks include:

- grocery store gift certificates. For people that aren't sure what can be used these are a simple solution to help those in need as they can buy their own food, including fresh meat, fruits and vegetables that aren't feasibly stored for long term periods. This also help the food bank because many of them spend cash donations on buying meats daily when they have storage areas for it to give out and they can spend these funds on other programs they offer such as utility assistance and rental assistance. These also don't expire so they can be used immediately or held for a future need by the recipient since many food banks can only help applicants once every 3 to 6 months out of the year.

- bundled meals. If donating several items, consider buying all the things needed for one or two meals and bundling them together for example: 1 boxed instant meal, a bottle of water and one or two cans of vegetables or 1 pack of spaghetti noodles, 1 can of sauce and a gallon of bottled water. These can easily be bundled together and not accidentally separated during the sorting process at the food bank with tape or string.

Food banks also accept donations of none food items. Much needed items of these types include:

- household supplies. Things like laundry detergent, trash bags, light bulbs, dish soap, all purpose cleaners etc. are greatly appreciated by people applying for assistance as they often don't have the means to buy these items. These can also be bought in smaller sizes or split up to help many applicants.

- personal hygiene supplies. Toilet paper, bath soap, toothpaste, deodorants, shampoos, feminine products, baby wipes, dental adhesive etc. can all be bought in small individual sizes and help out applicants that can't afford to spend the extra few dollars on them. Things like bags of diapers and adult diapers can be split up to help several persons as well.

- gas vouchers/gift certificates. These can be bought as prepaid cards or gift certificates at many retail locations. They are excellent for helping families in need to buy gas to get back and forth to work or doctor appointments and they assure the person donating them that the money they spent on the donation is used exclusively for gasoline since nothing else can be bought with it. They can be loaded with something as little as one gallon of gasoline so aren't very expensive.

- Over the counter medications. People needing assistance often times cannot afford simple items such as aspirin, fever reducers, cough suppressants, sinus relief or other types of over the counter medication that are often taken for granted. These can be bought reasonably cheap at discount stores and even come in individual packaging. Infant and children's versions of these types of items are in high demand among people that need assistance since public insurance programs often won't pay for these types of items.They are given out by request when they are available at food banks and other places that have assistance programs. Other things of this nature that can be donated include first aid supplies such as band aids, wraps, gauze etc.

- prepaid phone cards. Many people on government assistance now have access to cell phones through a special program. Often times these phones are the only means of communication that these people have. Prepaid phone cards help them keep the lines of communication open, especially for older people that need these phones to call for assistance, talk to their doctors or keep in touch with family members that may not live close enough to check on them as often as they need to be checked on. These are also very helpful in assisting out of work people with finding a job because the places they are applying to can contact them.

- pharmacy gift certificates. Greatly appreciated by people who cannot afford medications. These can be bought at most retail pharmacies and are used solely to pay for prescription medications. Many senior citizens have difficulty paying their day to day expenses because their medications are too expensive or insurance doesn't cover them or all of the cost of them.

- coupons. Simple enough, coupons can be given to recipients that request specialty items that the food bank does not have or does not supply such as certain types of baby formula, dietary supplemental drinks like ensure, vitamins, and any other number of things that people asking for assistance may need but cannot afford. In addition, many grocery chains print their own blank coupons which apply savings towards purchase over a certain amount. Any type of coupon is useful because they help people spend less towards what they need to buy.