Did you know this about food shelves?

[hostingp]

Hi everyone,

I have been coming to DealofDay.com for a couple of years now and have donated several of the freebies and little deals I've received to my local food shelf where I am a volunteer. I've realized over the past few months that most people would donate to a food shelf if they knew more about them, so I thought I would post some little "did you knows"!

Did you know that food shelves actually can use cash donations much more than actual food? The reason is that food shelves are able to buy food from government agencies, food banks, and wholesalers for much less than even the most savvy consumer. In fact, at the food shelf I work at, we are able to buy ground beef for as little as 7 cents per pound! Every $5 of cash donations that we receive can be transferred into nearly $30 worth of food for the food shelf!

If you are still interested in donating food and other necessities, please keep these guidelines in mind. (These are things I have observed from our food shelf particularly)

1. New food shelf regulations mean that we can no longer accept and distribute baby food in the regular jars with the little "popping" lid. The reason is that dirt and other debris can gather around the metal lid and actually can be sucked into the food after the vaccum seal is broken. The sad thing is that many people don't know this and continue to donate it and it must be simply thrown away because it violates this regulation in our state. If you would like to donate baby food, please donate the kinds in the pop-top container (with the ring you pull back) or the sealed plastic containers (like applesauce containers).

2. This applies to our food shelf, but probably others as well....there are certain items we are always in need of. Larger sized diapers, toothpaste, soap, toothbrushes, paper towels, tampons, sanitary napkins, deodorant, shampoo, and cleaning supplies. Again, we recommend that you donate cash instead, but if you have extras or you are able to get these items for free with coupons or rebates, we would be glad to distribute them. Food items always in need: peanut butter, cereals, meals in cans, pasta products, rice products, etc.

3. Some items seem to be donated at much larger rates than others, and we frankly can't use them as much as other items. Items we always seem to have too much of: ramen noodles, seasonal items like pumpkin in cans, or cranberries in cans, and foods that have little nutritional value (like old Halloween or Christmas candy).

4. Did you know that you can volunteer at your local food shelf as little as an hour or two each week? Most food shelves are grateful for any time you can provide. Volunteering at a food shelf is a great project for families!

5. Many food shelves have special "drives" at particular times per year for specific reasons. My food shelf has an annual school supply drive each summer, a Thanksgiving basket drive, a Christmas basket drive, and a toy drive each December. Think of these special events throughout the year as you see things on sale!

6. Some food shelves also will take donations of magazines, books, clothing, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, boots, and small toys. Call your local food shelf and ask if they accept these items. At my food shelf, we have a set of shelves from which children can choose a donated, gently-used toy or book on their way out.

What can you do now to help your local food shelf?

-Donate just $5 per month directly to your food shelf and it will buy $30 worth of food! Ask for a receipt and deduct it on your taxes.

-Buying a pre-bagged bag of groceries from your local grocery store is better than not donating at all, but beware that the bags are packed by the stores and may not include greatly needed items. My local store charges $5 for a small bag of groceries, but if people donated the $5 directly to the food shelf it would go MUCH further.

-Donate your un-sold garage sale items to food shelves that accept these items.

-Donate your unneeded or unwanted "freebies"!

-Stop by the local food shelf in person and see how things work. Ask what that specific food shelf needs most, and donate when you have extras.

-Get your local groups involved. Call your local food shelf and ask to speak to the director about starting a food drive for your scout troop, sports team, or other group!

-When you buy school supplies this year, buy an extra notebook or set of pencils and drop it off with your child at the food shelf. It's a great learning experience for children to see how even a small donation can help someone in need.

MOST OF ALL: Remember that food shelves serve a greatly needed purpose. Most of the people who use the food shelf I work at are elderly,, disabled, temporarily out of work, going through a divorce, seriously ill, or caring for children who are not their own (i.e. grandparents caring for children while living on a fixed income). By and large, the people who use the shelf are doing so to avoid using government services. These are people in legitimate need! The fastest growing populations of food shelf clients? Middle class people who used to have good jobs that have either been affected by 9-11, the economy downturn, or their jobs being sent overseas. These people used to donate in many cases, and now they are clients themselves temporarily. Also a growing population: elderly people who have to choose between food and prescription drugs. Please keep these special circumstances in mind when deciding whether to make a donation.

Overall, as a food shelf volunteer, we are grateful for any help you can give. Whether its food, a cash donation, or a couple of hours of your time, we are in need of your help and appreciate it so very much!

Thanks for taking the time to read this....feel free to pass it on if you like.

Jennifer

[hmsram]

Thank you for sharing that. the information is helpful and really put a light on just how much the food banks do for the community.

[mayfly]

Thank you for sharing! Thats was an eyeopener about the $5.

Thanks for the information. I was not aware that they accepted items like magazines, cleaning products, etc. Many times I find I have too much of certain things so now I know where they will be put to good use.

[Twinplets]

I wouldn't have thought of the baby food problem because at all the food drives I've heard of, they all say no glass jars. I've never donated directly to a food pantry otherwise.