Donating food to the less fortunate is always a good idea, but there are ways to do it wrong. If you want to truly help, you need to know a few rules, and the most important ones have to do with which foods not to donate (as it will likely just end up in the trash and not help anyone).
Dented Cans
Donating canned goods is typically a good idea as they don’t require special storing conditions and have a long shelf life, but if the cans are in any way damaged, refrain from donating them. Don’t donate the cans that have dents, rust, or some other kinds of damage on them, because the food inside may be spoiled.
Fresh Produce and Meat
You may have some leftover produce and meat that you’d like to donate, but that’s really not a good idea. Many facilities don’t have enough refrigerators and freezers to keep such foods cold so it will spoil in no time.
Homemade Meals
Although you have the best intentions, donating homemade meals will be rejected by most food banks. They aren’t allowed to accept food that doesn’t have proper packaging and will have to throw out the food you made.
