Have you ever been grocery shopping and come across a great deal where you can products for free, or you can save a lot of money if you buy 5 or more of a specific product? I love it when I come across great deals like that. My husband on the other hand does not. He tends to do more of the food shopping (no kidding). He actually resents that you have to buy multiple of one product just to get the great price. He said it’s OK if it’s something that we use on a regular basis. He just doesn’t like it when you have to buy multiples of a product we use occasionally to save money.
I tell my husband all the time, if he comes across a great deal to take advantage of it because there is someone out there who could really use the extra products… children. More specifically children who live in “food instable” homes, meaning homes where families don’t know when they will have their next meal.
Did you know that there are 16 MILLION children right here in the United States who face hunger? I’m not talking about only children in poverty too. Sometimes medium income families struggle in this economy to put food on the table.
The next time you happen across a great deal on products at the local grocery store, even if it’s for something you might not use on a regular basis, if you can afford it please consider donating the extra products to a local food bank.
Food banks need a lot of food donations. Most need only non-perishable items, but other food banks do welcome perishable either all the time or during the holidays. It’s best to call the food bank ahead of time and see if they are accepting perishables and to find out if there is something else they are in dire need of.
Here is a list of items that many food banks have a constant need for. This is not a complete list but it’s enough to give you an idea of what products are welcomed in every food bank.
Juice – boxed or bottled
Beans
Tuna
Cereal
Oatmeal
Canned Vegetables
Canned Fruits or Fruit Cups
Applesauce
Peanut Butter
Jelly/Jam
Pasta & Pasta Sauces
Processed Cheese Spread
Baby Food
Baby Formula
Sugar
Flour
Oil
Seasonings
Spam
Powdered Milk
Crackers
Cookies
Soups
Rice
Cereal Bars & Snack Bars
Macaroni & Cheese
Kid Friendly Convenience Foods
Noodles
Salt & Pepper
Baking Soda
Microwave Popcorn
Ketchup & Mustard
Ramen Noodles
Pop Tarts
Cake Mixes & Frosting
Non-Perishable Pre-Made Meals
Some items people might question, like cake mix, frosting, Pop Tarts and microwave popcorn. You have to keep in mind that many of the people who need the food from the food banks the most are children. Children love to eat fun things like Pop Tarts and popcorn. Children shouldn’t be denied fun childhood treats just because their family cannot afford them. Personally I think it’s nice to offer children such food, providing that they get a decent, healthy meal in them first.
Cake and frosting is not something I would have considered donating to a food bank. After I gave it some thought I realized just how nice it would be to offer a family a delicious treat. I can only assume that families that are food instable also do not have the means of offering their child a cake on their birthday. It would make my heart smile knowing that by donating cake and cake mix a child can have a birthday cake on their birthday. ♥
There are other things that can be donated too. If you own a local farm you could offer to donate excess fruits and vegetables to your local food bank. Fresh foods would be greatly appreciated.
During the holiday season many stores offer a free product such as a ham or turkey when you spend a certain amount of money. If you have a free product coming to you that you really don’t need you could donate it to your local food bank too. Also during the holidays consider donating holiday treats that the food bank volunteers could give out to the children that come in.
Financial donations are always welcome as well as volunteers.
Another way you can help provide a meal for a hungry child is to purchase specially marked packages of ConAgra foods. Look for the big red pushpin on packages of Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Hunt’s, Marie Callendar’s, Manwhich, Orville Redenbacher, Peter Pan and Snack Pack.
One these special packages you’ll find a code. Take that code and visit ChildHungerEndsHere.com. For each code that is entered ConAgra will donate a meal to Feeding America to feed a hungry child.
When you upload the code you are also eligible to download a FREE song called “Here’s Hope” sung by your favorite artist, Jewel, Owl City and/or Jay Sean. You can learn more about the song on this post that I wrote last week, https://www.shescribes.com/2012/04/heres-hope.html.
While you are on the Child Hunger Ends Here website be sure to look around. You’ll find a lot of information about child hunger, including how many children are hungry in your own “backyard”. You’ll be SHOCKED to learn just how many there are. I live in a affluent suburb of New York City and I was truly in disbelief as to how many children in the tiny county that I live in are in food instable homes.
For more information about the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign please visit ChildHungerEndsHere.com.
You can also find more information about the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign by visiting ConAgra on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/ConAgraFoods) and on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/ConAgraFoodsor @ConAgraFoods). To join the conversation on Twitter use the hashtag #ChildHunger.
Kimberly
*I am a brand ambassador for the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign and I am going to be compensated for my participation. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own. Stats and information provided by ConAgra and Feeding America.
Barbara M says
I’m so happy to see this post as I volunteer at our food shelf.
A great list – thank you.
Yes as grocery prices rise – so do needs.
Doctor Cris says
I really did not know that ConAgra would donate a meal to Feeding America to feed a hungry child. I’m glad I stopped by your blog because I too believe people in America should not go hungry. We are a country of many resources, abundance and blessings that we need to ensure that everyone gets to eat.