Anonymous wrote:I will admit the messaging sounds like it needs some work. However, the message is 100% accurate and it is a difficult thing to discuss with people who are the donators. As evidenced by multiple statements made above the post I’m making right now.


Yes, people who are destitute and poor, can certainly eat hamburger helper on its own, and a cake mix made with no frosting. However, people who are destitute and poor are also human beings, worthy of dignity and respect. Worthy of being able to see the joy on their child’s face, when giving a cake with candles and icing and sprinkles. Being able to really satisfy a bunch of hungry tummies with a hot meal with protein.

We have no idea if or why not someone might have or not have food stamps or WIC and why they are at the food pantry.

I’m not religious but I think I’ve heard the phrase “there but for the grace of God I go” and it may fit here

And people who donate to food banks are not worthy of dignity and respect? Because the "100% accurate" statement they made was very condescending and disrespectful.
If I received that message I'd find a new place to donate, and let the more "worthy" people figure it out on their own.

It is way better to give a food bank money than donate food. Then they can buy what they need. Also they purchase food at very discounted rates so that if you give them $10 they can buy way more food with that amount than you can.

Anonymous wrote:Saw something like this before, we simply didn't donate anymore. Beggars can't be choosers.

You're disgusting. You were probably given them expired food anyway. not a big loss on their part

Longtime food pantry volunteer and board member. No two good outreach programs are alike.

Mine is all volunteer and provides non perishable food only but also can supply diapers, cleaning supplies and toiletries.

Our clients are nearly all working poor but make too much to qualify for EBT or food stamps. Typical client works seasonally, married with young children and renting an apartment or in shared housing.

Shared housing means limited storage space so we can’t give out industrial sized cans of tomatoes, for example. We request rice in 1 pound bags max. We can’t decant and repackage so donating your Costco sized bottle of dish detergent/laundry detergent/ketchup/Mr. Clean/vegetable oil is burdensome for us. We have limited storage space too.

My charity partners with a farmers market and another local food bank to provide clients access to fresh produce, eggs and milk.

We keep an updated list of most needed items.
Sometimes, we get specific and advice we have too much peanut butter so no thanks but really need jelly.

No expired foods. Prefer no glass jars. Nothing
opened or used.

All this said that the communication you received was terse and unkind. It’s frustrating dealing with unsolicited, unwanted food and donors who don’t understand that although they think they’re helping, sometimes they are making the work of the volunteers difficult.

I have had to deal with a literal pick up truckload of expired, dented, leaking boxes of canned goods dumped in our parking lot overnight. Had to pay extra for our trash company to haul it away - plus overfilled the dumpster with boxes the food arrived - huge unexpected cost to our little charity that operates on a shoestring budget.



None of our clients have dishwashers, so we don’t accept not ask for dishwasher detergent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will admit the messaging sounds like it needs some work. However, the message is 100% accurate and it is a difficult thing to discuss with people who are the donators. As evidenced by multiple statements made above the post I’m making right now.


Yes, people who are destitute and poor, can certainly eat hamburger helper on its own, and a cake mix made with no frosting. However, people who are destitute and poor are also human beings, worthy of dignity and respect. Worthy of being able to see the joy on their child’s face, when giving a cake with candles and icing and sprinkles. Being able to really satisfy a bunch of hungry tummies with a hot meal with protein.

We have no idea if or why not someone might have or not have food stamps or WIC and why they are at the food pantry.

I’m not religious but I think I’ve heard the phrase “there but for the grace of God I go” and it may fit here

Well, what’s your utopian solution? You can’t offer eggs or meat. So now what?

So the kid can’t have a sweet dessert that isn’t exactly cake? I enjoyed the heck out of my cake mentioned above! Without it, my mom wasn’t spending money on treats.

The kid can’t have cheesy noodles? Or he can, just only if it says “Kraft”.

You are just as privileged as the rest and no clue what it’s like to be poor.

DP — Honestly, if I were buying things for the food bank, I’d read the labels— and maybe donate brownie mix or something where everything is in the box except water. I’m sure the cake will be appreciated, but it’s also thoughtful to donate things that won’t require expensive ingredients in addition to the donation. FWIW- using cake mix to make waffles or pancakes makes a sweet treat without additional ingredients — although they’re even better if you can add eggs and butter.

Anonymous wrote:I have a good friend who works at a food bank. They prefer monetary donations. They are able to get food in bulk at discounts, and select items that work best with their target demographics. They also choose items that are easy to prepare and require small amounts of ingredients yet are healthy. They utilize a large amount of volunteers who help create food baskets and distribute. Lately whenever I see asks for food donations, there is always a specific list of items. If this food bank is receiving too many cake mixes and hamburger helpers, then they probably aren't marketing themselves to donors correctly or efficiently.

This!!!

I too thought you weren't supposed to donate perishable items to a food bank but for those saying they no longer donate or would not donate to a food bank producing such letters, that's punishing the very people you want to help.

The PP that talks about being a child and getting support. You're the person I think about when I donate some sweets - the kids. Kids and their parents deserve treats, no matter their circumstances. I also got a tip on here once to donate condiments. So, try to buy some at times and give to Manna.

A lot of times we donate via drop box or we leave bags outside the porch for pickup when we get a mailing that they'll be in our neighborhood. Can't do perishables that way. A nicely worded letter asking for cash donations or explaining where to bring perishables would be better.

I would not punish the FOOD INSECURE PEOPLE because the people running the program are a**holes or used the wrong tone or whatever, am side eyeing every single person who wrote that.

Anonymous wrote:Your food bank needs to get creative and better with their PR. Yikes!

There is an initiative at our school district that gives away birthday cake kits. They include a can of soda that somehow makes the cake a cake (along with a metal pan, frosting, and candles.) I know applesauce can also be used as an alternative.

Canned chicken or tuna can easily be added to Hamburger Helper.

To call either of these donations “useless” is an insult to both you as a donator, and to recipients as too stupid to improvise.

One of my kids has an egg allergy and a can of soda added to boxed cake mix will indeed make an egg free cake. Love the idea of providing everything needed. May try to get my church to make those types of kits available, birthdays are so important to kids.

I’m not really sure what your question is. I’m sure that any donations that you make will be appreciated. I’m also sure that it will be appreciated even more if someone doesn’t have to spend money for expensive and possibly unhealthy food (cheap oil or margarine for example) in order to make the donated food work. I’m not sure what you mean by “fair”. Limited income means painful decisions. Buying diapers and toilet paper and paying rent might mean that butter and oil are burdensome expenses, especially the week that the rent is due.

You have no idea what people have or don’t have. It would be kind to assume that people have nothing, and to package your donations accordingly if you can, especially if you’re donating the least expensive part of a dish that requires other ingredients. I might get tuna helper — since I could also include a can of tuna. If I donate cake mix or cereal, I might also donate shelf stable milk.

You yourself note that food is wildly expensive. If butter costs $ 4-6, and eggs cost $4, then the cake mix that costs $2 -3 can turn a treat into an expensive burden plus icing. So I guess my suggestion is to be as thoughtful as you can when making donations that require other ingredients— especially when the ingredients are expensive relative to the donation.


tldr: Wonderful that you’re donating! Try to do so in a thoughtful way, if and as you can.

I have a good friend who works at a food bank. They prefer monetary donations. They are able to get food in bulk at discounts, and select items that work best with their target demographics. They also choose items that are easy to prepare and require small amounts of ingredients yet are healthy. They utilize a large amount of volunteers who help create food baskets and distribute. Lately whenever I see asks for food donations, there is always a specific list of items. If this food bank is receiving too many cake mixes and hamburger helpers, then they probably aren't marketing themselves to donors correctly or efficiently.

Anonymous wrote:I will admit the messaging sounds like it needs some work. However, the message is 100% accurate and it is a difficult thing to discuss with people who are the donators. As evidenced by multiple statements made above the post I’m making right now.


Yes, people who are destitute and poor, can certainly eat hamburger helper on its own, and a cake mix made with no frosting. However, people who are destitute and poor are also human beings, worthy of dignity and respect. Worthy of being able to see the joy on their child’s face, when giving a cake with candles and icing and sprinkles. Being able to really satisfy a bunch of hungry tummies with a hot meal with protein.

We have no idea if or why not someone might have or not have food stamps or WIC and why they are at the food pantry.

I’m not religious but I think I’ve heard the phrase “there but for the grace of God I go” and it may fit here

Well, what’s your utopian solution? You can’t offer eggs or meat. So now what?

So the kid can’t have a sweet dessert that isn’t exactly cake? I enjoyed the heck out of my cake mentioned above! Without it, my mom wasn’t spending money on treats.

The kid can’t have cheesy noodles? Or he can, just only if it says “Kraft”.

You are just as privileged as the rest and no clue what it’s like to be poor.

They should have worded it more gently. I have used a food bank, and I definitely thought about "okay I'm taking a jar of sauce and pasta - can I afford to buy protein to make this a nutritious meal?" while putting together a bag. One time I was about to take oatmeal but realized my water was turned off for two days and put it back.

At the time I went to the food bank, I used EBT, and it depended where I was in that cycle on whether or not I could buy food with the EBT card to supplement the food bank treasures. Sometimes I could, and sometimes I couldn't. (You didn't ask this, but another wrinkle for me was only buying what I could carry home on a long walk, since I couldn't afford to take the bus then.)