Where Can I Donate Food Near Me?
Food Insecurity in Illinois
Most Needed Food Donation Items
Food pantries will usually only accept dry or canned goods. This includes items like pasta, rice, canned beans, canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned soup, or any other non-perishable items. That said, food pantries also need items like fresh produce, meats, and dairy products. However, since these items are perishable, they cannot be donated like other items. That’s why food pantries like My Pantry Express greatly appreciate cash donations. This way we can use these funds to purchase healthy items from farmers and donors.
Where To Donate Food Near Me?
Northern Illinois Food Bank is part of the national Feeding America network. They serve 250,000 nutritious meals a day to over 13 counties across Northern Illinois. With over 1,000 employees, Northern Illinois Food Bank goes above and beyond to feed neighbors in need.
Midwest Food Bank is a faith-based organization with a mission to decrease food insecurity. They have distributed approximately 36 million dollars in food to 2,050 non-profit organizations monthly. Midwest Food Bank also provides immediate disaster relief for those who are in need of food following a natural disaster.
Foodpantries.org consists of food banks, non-profit organizations, and soup kitchens with the goal of decreasing world hunger. Their website allows people to access food pantries located across the United States.
WhyHunger is an organization whose mission is to end world hunger and tackle economic, social, and environmental issues. They work at this goal by growing grassroots power, food justice, racial justice, community organizing, relationship building, movement building, and advocating for the rights of nutritious food.
FoodFinder is a food pantry locator that allows people to find food near them. Over 500,000 people are connected through FoodFinder with 10,000 U.S. towns and cities served.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository helps communities find free groceries or local food pantries in the Greater Chicago area. It also serves as a resource to provide food and medical benefits like SNAP and Medicaid to families and free diapers to those with children.
Alternative Options to Donate Food
Little Free Pantries are mini food pantry boxes that allow people to drop off and collect food in their neighborhood. This personal approach allows neighbors to come together and help each other directly.
Food Not Bombs is a volunteer organization that shares both vegan and vegetarian food with 65 countries and over 1,000 cities. Their mission is to protest poverty, violence, war, and destruction and serve those in need.
Freedges are community refrigerators where people can donate and collect perishable food and cold beverages.
Other Resources to Donate Food
Homeless Shelters Directory
The Homeless Shelters Directory gives people information about the homeless shelters in their area and how they can donate food or other items.
Swipe Out Hunger
Swipe Out Hunger is affiliated with colleges, with their ultimate goal to end student hunger. They work with over 550 campuses across the U.S.
Amazon Smile
AmazonSmile is a website that allows shoppers to donate 0.5% of their purchase cost to a charity of their choosing.
Where to Donate Fresh Garden Produce?
- Fresh Food Connect
Fresh Food Connect is an organization that partners with gardeners through their Fresh Food Connect app. On this app, gardeners can donate fresh produce to those in need.
Ampleharvest.org is an online registry for gardeners to donate leftover crops. Over 8,040 food pantries are currently registered on AmpleHarvest today.
