Article: If you have food clogging up your cupboards that you are not going to eat, there is an alternative to just tossing it in the trash. Donating food to local charities, such as food banks and soup kitchens, is a great way to make sure nothing goes to waste. If you decide to do this, the first thing to do is determine what kind of food is suitable for you to donate. Generally non-perishable food, such as tinned vegetables, soups, fish and meat are all appropriate. Low-sugar cereal, tubs of peanut butter, raisins, and juice boxes are also very welcome. Avoid donating food in glass jars or containers. These may not be accepted because of the risk of them breaking. Remember you can also ask friends and family to see if they want anything too. Once you have an idea of what foods you have that may be suitable to donate, you need to look up some local charities. Search for food banks and food drives in your area, and call up to ask how to donate. You can search for your local food banks by using the online search tool of national hunger charities. There are special apps that help businesses to donate unwanted food. As an individual, it is best to work with an established charity, either local or national. Carefully pack up your food and then take your packages to your local food bank to deliver them to the staff and volunteers there. They will be happy to see you and accept your donation providing everything is packed well and you have not added in anything that is not an appropriate donation. While you're at the food drive you could find out a little more about the work they do. Often they will be looking for new volunteers to help organise and distribute the donations. If you have some spare time, why not get involved with the charity and volunteer with them. There are normally a range of volunteering opportunities available. You can also donate excess food to charity if you run a restaurant. Contact a local charity with details about the food you wish to donate, and they will send a truck or van to come and collect from the restaurant. These schemes may also enable you to donate perishable and prepared foods, which will then be frozen or delivered immediately to a local shelter. You can find a list of organisations that perform this service on the US Department of Agriculture's website: http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/resources/donations.htm You can also donate excess food from a grocery store or food wholesalers. The process is similar to that for restaurants and hotels. You will need to contact a local organisation and give them details on the excess food you would like to donate. The organisation will then arrange to pick up the food directly from you. You could become a corporate partner of a local or national food charity if you are an organisation that frequently has food waste. Being a corporate partner enables you to make a regular arrangement for donations and may offer your business tax benefits.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Determine what food goods are suitable to donate. Contact local charities. Deliver it to the food centre. Donate food from a restaurant. Donate food from a grocery store.