Would You Consider Donating a Side of Beef

Why Donate to a Hunger Relief Agency?

You may know someone who has had to rely on a hunger relief agency to put food on the table and not even know it.  In 2018, 1 in 6 Washingtonians turned to local food banks, food pantries and meal programs for food assistance.These programs helped feed 1 in 5 children across our state.

Often lower-income people divert their limited funds to other necessary but inflexible expenses like paying rent, utilities, child care or health care, which can lead to skipped meals and hunger.  Local hunger relief agencies make it possible for struggling lower-income individuals and families to keep a roof over their heads and prioritize having enough to eat. Donations of money, food, and other in-kind goods, as well as volunteers generously sharing their time and talents make it all possible.

WSDA works with partners to distribute state and federal funds, as well as USDA commodity foods, to support those in need through a network of nearly 500 food banks, food pantries, meal programs, and tribal assistance programs.

Please find a food bank, food pantry, community action council or meal program in your area or connect with a regional or statewide hunger relief agency and ask them how you can get involved and support their mission.

Good Samaritan Protections for Food Donors

Washington State adopted a Good Samaritan Food Donation Act in 1994 to encourage individuals, businesses & gleaners to donate food to hunger relief providers.  The intention of this law is to limit liability of food donors who donate "apparently wholesome food" to a nonprofit organization or allow the collection or gleaning of donations on your land. This act offers food donors protection from criminal and civil liability.

It is not a "get-out-of-jail-free" card relieving donors and hunger relief agencies of the duty of acting responsibly. This law requires that the donated food be "apparently wholesome." Animal products can look just fine but still carry E. coli, salmonella or other disease. Therefore, verifying whether animal products are, in fact, "apparently wholesome" requires knowing whether the food has been handled in accordance with suitable food safety standards.

Read the bill language (RCW 69.80.031) if you wish, and learn more by reading a legal review & analysis below prepared by the Washington Food Coalition.

At the Federal level, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act was adopted in 1996. It similarly excludes donor liability except in cases of gross negligence.  Learn more about federal protections here.

What should I donate?

In the fight against hunger, every donation counts. Food assistance providers are able to accept product donations ranging in size from individual cases to multiple truckloads. WSDA works with our network of hunger relief partners to redistribute donations efficiently and effectively to our network of almost 500 emergency food providers that serve working families, children, and seniors in need.

While food banks, food pantries, and meal programs appreciate all donations, they strive to offer a diversity of food that helps balance nutrition - especially important to children, seniors, and those with health challenges.

Hunger relief organizations are most in need of:

• Canned and boxed meals (soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese)
• Ready to eat products that do not require refrigeration (like nuts, jerky & other healthy snacks) for homeless bags
• Peanut butter and other nut butters
• Canned or dried beans and peas (black, pinto, lentils)
• Pasta, rice, cereal
• Canned and fresh fruits and vegetables
• 100% fruit or vegetable juice (canned, plastic or boxed)
• Cooking oil
• Canned meat (chicken, beef, fish)
• Infant formula, baby food and baby cereal
• Canned holiday food (cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc.)

Food banks and food pantries also make various essential household products available to help struggling families make ends meet. Other non-food items needed are:

• Hygiene products (shampoo, deodorant, soap, diapers, toilet paper, feminine hygiene, toothpaste)
• Cleaning supplies (laundry detergent, paper towels, kitchen and bathroom cleaners)

Monetary donations are always appreciated and are an effective way to donate since they allow food assistance providers to purchase what is most needed at a given time, including paying for refrigeration and other costs associated with storing and transporting food safely. Hunger relief agencies are able to leverage economies of scale to efficiently use monetary donations to purchase food.

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What can Hunger Relief Agencies Accept & Safely Distribute?

In spite of the best intentions on the part of a donor, food safety laws might prevent food banks, food pantries and meal programs from accepting or distributing every food donation that they receive.  While some of these laws may feel overly restrictive, the intention behind them is important:

Just because someone cannot afford to buy food, they are still deserving of safe food and consumer protection.  Given their vulnerable position in seeking help from their community, they need to be able to trust that the organization they are receiving food from knows that it's safe.

If you are considering donating perishable food to a food bank, food pantry or meal program, either as an individual or as a business, please review the food donation guides below based on types of food products.  You will learn what foods they can and cannot re-distribute, and from whom they can receive it, and how it must be processed, packaged, and transported to ensure that they can get it into the hands of someone in need with total confidence.  If you have a specific question, contact your local hunger relief agency for guidance about and to coordinate a food donation you are planning to make.

Eggs in the Shell Donations Guide [PDF 155 KB]
Exotic Meat Donations Guide [PDF 129 KB]
​Fresh Fish Donations Guide [PDF 162 KB]
Livestock Donations Guide [PDF 173 KB]
Poultry Donations Guide [PDF 168 KB]
Wild Game Donations Guide [PDF 178 KB]

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Source: https://agr.wa.gov/services/food-access/hunger-relief-resources/donations

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