Donations of Food
The pantry appreciates your donation of canned goods all year round. Check out our list of items most needed.
Food donations can be dropped off at the Food Pantry during regular business hours.
If you have prepared or perishable items, please refer to our guidelines below to see what we can accept.
FOOD PRODUCTS |
PREFERRED PACKAGING |
STORAGE CONDITIONS |
NON-ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS |
|
Prepared Foods |
Packaged separately Securely closed Avoid spillage |
Chilled, 40 of or less Frozen, 0 oF or less |
Mixing food types e.g. meats and side dishes |
| Sandwiches | Wrapped in clear plastic wrap or foil | Chilled, 40 oF or less | Stale/hard bread Encrusted filling |
|
Baked Goods |
|||
| Fresh or day-old bread and/or bagels | Must use food safe bags & keep separate from other baked goods | Cool, dry area | Stale/hard |
| Muffins, Pastries cookies | Pack in own paper boxes avoid crumbling | Cool, dry area | Stale/hard bread |
| Prepackaged Foods | |||
| Perishable | Packaged separately Securely closed | Chilled, 40 oF or less | Opened, punctured, bulging or damaged packaging |
| Non-perishable (mislabeled- ok with proper notification) | Packaged separately Securely closed | Cool, dry area | Opened, punctured, bulging or damaged packaging |
| Frozen | |||
| Dairy, Pastries Factory-prepared | Packaged separately Securely closed | Frozen, 0 oF or less | Defrosted, punctured, opened or damaged packaging; Severe freezer burn |
| Vegetables, Meat, Poultry, Fish | Packaged separately Securely closed | Frozen, 0 oF or less | Defrosted or damaged packaging; Severe freezer burn |
| Dairy | Individually wrapped Clear plastic wrap | Refrigerated at all times | Damaged packaging |
| Milk | Securely closed | Refrigerated at all times 40 oF or less |
Damaged packaging |
| Meat, Poultry, Fish | |||
| Fresh | Original packaging Clear plastic wrap, or food safe bags. | Refrigerated at all times 40 oF or less |
Strong odor Discoloration |
| Frozen | Original packaging Clear plastic wrap or food safe bags |
Frozen at all times 40 oF or less |
Damaged packaging |
| Fresh Produce | |||
| Whole | Bag, box, or carton | Cool, dry area | Significant decay |
| Chopped | Bag each vegetable separately | Chilled, 40 oF or less | Color change or decay |
| Beverages* | |||
| Perishable | Securely closed bag or carton | Chilled, 40 oF or less | Alcohol not accepted |
| Non-Perishable | Bag or carton | Cool, dry, unopened | Opened, punctured, bulging |
Holiday Baskets
You can donate $30 to cover the cost of a Holiday Basket. We will distribute these baskets to registered families and individuals who need a little help setting the table for the November and December holidays.
Food Rescue
The Open Door partners with local grocers, farmers, markets, caterers, and fisheries to rescue food that would otherwise have gone to waste. The rescued items are distributed through the food pantry and Mobile Market.Through these partnerships, we rescue more than 225,000 pounds of prepared and perishable foods annually.If you would like to donate prepared or perishable food, please contact us with any questions.
Our grocery partners:
Our agricultural partners:
Our fish connections:
Our food bank partners:
