10 Things Your Local Food Pantry Needs

This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Family Volunteer Day. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Volunteering is a huge part of my family’s life. My husband coaches baseball, sits on the board of our home owner’s association, and is the president of our local chamber of commerce. I’m on our school’s Home and School board and run a fundraising event for the baseball league. And the boys? Well, they are along for the ride helping us.

Teaching our kids about volunteering is important to us. Not only is it rewarding but we are giving back to our local community. One way we have the kids volunteer is by hosting a food drive for our local food pantry. Our food pantry services a lot of people and are always in need of donations, especially during the holidays.

They put a bin out in front of our house and check it daily for donations. Every Friday, we drop off what was collected that week at our food pantry.

Disney and generationOn wants every family to volunteer! Family Volunteer Day is a global day of service created to encourage families to volunteer together in support of their neighborhoods and communities — not only on the day of the event, but also throughout the holiday season and every day during the year.

Family Volunteer Day occurs annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving (this year, November 18th). Looking for a way to volunteer? Search the Family Volunteer Day page for local service projects in your own neighborhood or find more than 100 DIY projects!

If you want to help your local food pantry, I put together of list of common items that they need.

10 Things Your Food Pantry Needs Now

10 things your local food pantry needs now

  1. Breakfast Bars
  2. Rice or Pasta Side Dishes
  3. Granola Bars
  4. Shampoo and Body Wash
  5. Canned Meat/Fish
  6. Bread
  7. Peanut Butter
  8. Jelly
  9. Cereal
  10. Soups/Broths

I normally stick with this list when I go shopping for our donations. Other things I keep in mind are things that my own kids like to eat. Our local food pantry services a ton of families, many with young kids. Chances are they like many of things that my own kids do.

Shopping tip: Keep a reusable shopping bag dedicated for your food pantry donations. As you are shopping sales and using coupons, purchase extra for your donations. You will be surprised how quickly your bag fills up!

 

Find out more about how Family Volunteering Day by visiting their website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. For ideas on how you and your family can give back on Family Volunteer day or any time during the year, please visit: www.generationOn.org/fvd.

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16 Comments

    1. I can’t wait to drop off our donation on Saturday. They know I’m coming and are looking forward to our donation.

  1. Ah! I have binder too! Don’t use it as much now the kids have moved out, but when they moved out they got their own binders(what else would a great mom do for her daughters?) I love sales at CVS where they give me ECB’s back, I use coupons and I stockpile for me or collect for the foodbank. My faves? Toothpaste, shampoos. Pasta side dishes and mac n cheese are my other faves, tho from the grocery store. I pick these up when I mystery shop. I get reimbursed and there’s only so much I can eat from the stores. Oh, and I say cue-pon .

  2. Oh you are so right: You should always have Pedialyte in the pantry. I need to buy some on my next outing b/c I never have it!

  3. Love the must have list, whether for the local food pantry or our own needs. Great project!

    1. I really am enjoying these Simple Service Projects from Champions for Kids Such a great program!

  4. Personally, a coupon binder is too much work for me. I prefer to use a coupon database and keep the inserts full in a tote bag. But I also live in town with many stores that I drive by daily. If I happen to miss a deal, I’m going right back by anyway.

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