To ask what to put into a foodbank shop?

[PumpkinSquash]

Wanting to take some food to the local foodbank in the next few weeks.
Never really donated to one before, so what do you suggest?
So far I'm thinking -

• tea
• biscuits
• hot chocolate
• pasta
• dried noodles (easy to eat if you don't have much cooking facilities)
• soup
• beans
• maybe a few advent calendars for the kids as it's coming up to Christmas

Does yours not have a list of suggested items?

Toothpaste, soap, sanitary towels, baby wipes, nappies and loo roll are usually wanted, but low as obviously people tend to donate actual food.

A few treats are always nice like chocolate etc. Ours are always asking for things like gloves, scarves or spare blankets at this time of year. Also other non-food items like nappies and tampons are important too, if your food bank does non-edibles.

Check their list - tinned meat, fish, fruit and custard are often wanted

I often include toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap and sanitary products

The school and the church have previously said they wanted things like tinned chicken curry, meat soups, toiletries including sanitary products. UHT milk and fruit juices, breakfast cereals. They will be grateful for whatever you can donate I’m sure

Check their website, they’ll have a list of what they need.

My dm has apparently used a food bank a couple of times this year. Didn’t tell us until after she mentioned that one trip they didn’t have toilet roll for anyone. Also nothing for washing yourself or toothpaste or anything to wash clothes or plates.

We all instantly think food bank food but actually the people using them need to be able to wipe their bottoms and clean their plates and clothes even if having to hand wash due to no electric.

I go to food banks very regularly as part of my job. I asked this question at a food bank recently and the answer was fray bentos meat pies and tinned sponge puddings - people are delighted to get these. The food banks I got to have loads of pasta, beans etc. Although if everyone donates pies and puddings there won't be any pasta!

uht milk
Cereal ie weetabix
Tins with pull lids
Pasta
Rice
Shampoo
Toilet rolls
Crips or biscuits

Just by the cheapest you can find. Quantity over quality. Better to send 4 packs of economy teabags which can go in 4 bags, than spend more and just provide for 1 bag. Tesco small packets are ideal.

Maybe a couple of tins of cat or dog food?

Lovely of you to donate. I’m sure whatever you give will be appreciated.

Maybe some sauces (uncle bens style jars), lentils, rice, cereal, porridge oats, rasins/sultanas.
Some also take toiletries but don't think all do.

OP you need to check with the foodbank before you buy stuff.
The list of what's needed varies, it's updated every day on website for the one our area.
I've never seen them ask for advent calenders.

Any food stuff that doesn’t go off, ie, tinned, dried. We also include cat or dog food, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, and the Nescafé instant sachets which come with milk already added.

Having spoken to someone who has used a food bank, they said the bank also had packs of nappies and baby milk.

As pp have said, anything is gratefully received when you have nothing.

I myself wouldn’t bother donating cans of sauce as they need meat and vegetables to turn them an actual meal.

Pasta
Pasta sauce
Rice
Hot chocolate
Tea
Biscuits
Custard
Cereal
Jam
Tinned fruit

Sanitary towels
Toothpaste
Shampoo
Conditioner
Shower gel
Nappies

Personally, I don't donate tinned soup, baked beans, tinned tomatoes and dried pasta because I sort the proceeds of several harvest festivals (for a charity for whom I volunteer) and there is always loads of this stuff. At my DD's school, the lady from the food bank giving a talk to the children about it asked them, if possible, not to bring in baked beans because they had more than enough too.
I would donate UHT milk, long life juice, tinned meat and fish, tinned meals such as beef stew, chicken curry although be wary of things like Fray Bentos pies as they take a long time to cook, and people don't always have access to an oven, or can't afford to run it for long periods of time. Tinned fruit and veg are always welcome, tinned custard, rice pudding. Since my DD went veggie, I always try to put in a tin of macaroni cheese or vegetable curry too.
Treats such as biscuits or sweets/chocolate are also always welcome. If you are going to put in advent calendars (which I think is a good idea!), please do it asap so that there is enough time for them to get from the collection point to where the parcels are made up.

Last week I donated some packets of super noodles, mug shots, savoury rice, tins of corned beef and ham, packets of angel delight, uht milk, sweets, chocolate, some paw patrol aerosol soap, men's ahower gel, women's shower gel and washing tablets. After watching I, Daniel Blake, recently, I have vowed to add sanitary products to my donations.

I would go for a combination of things that are high in protein eg tinned tuna or meat
Treats eg biscuits hot chocolate tinned fruit
Toiletries toothpaste, toothbrush deodorant toilet paper

Thank you for donating, it is so much appreciated

Shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, sanitary pads/tampons , shaving gel
A couple of nice Christmas things - selection boxes , biscuits, tinned pudding
Tinned fruit, veg
Cereal, porridge oats
Sugar, tea bags, coffee, drinking chocolate
Pet food - not sure if that's allowed?

We used to get a Christmas food handout every year - got a lot of very good stuff each time. Always got a Christmas pudding, crackers and a selection pack!

Ours always has excessive amounts of beans, pasta and soup because these are the things people remember to buy.

The things they want the most are stuff that is a meal that can be cooked without a stove. They get a lot of people with only access to limited facilities e.g. Kettle and microwave at the most due to living conditions, utilities cut off etc. Things like cup a soup, mug shots, pot noodles etc. Also anything that's a meal in a tin (preferably with a pull lid) like chicken curry, chilli etc.

Why don't you google your local area collections and ask what they need? You can probably call them as well - or just go and ask. Doing the same thing here.

Food that can be cooked with a kettle - many people don’t have access to / can’t afford to turn the oven on. Pot noodles, soup in a mug, Souper Noodles and similar.

Sanitary towels for those women who don’t use tampons.

Toiletries. Baby stuff. Pet food. And treats (human and animal).

My friend volunteers at one and said they always need these things. The ‘kettle food’ especially.

Contact your local food bank. Ask what they are short of.

They are never short of pasta or rice.

They never list items like sanitary stuff, nappies or wipes, but they always need them.

Shop in somewhere like Aldi and get waaaaay more for your money.

Also if you use Ocado you can give a certain amount of money to a food bank and they will match it...

www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Donate-food-with-Ocado-250-GBP/271532011