If you’ve ever wanted to donate something other than canned vegetables to your local food pantry, representatives of area pantries have a few suggestions for you.
Meals in a can
Mary Hettenhausen, site manager at Feed My People in High Ridge, said an ideal donation would be protein-rich and self-contained.
“We’re looking for what we call a meal in a can,” she said. “It’s like a hearty soup that isn’t hard to digest or like Beef-a-Roni, ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs.”
Terri Ferguson, executive director of the Arnold Food Pantry, agreed. In addition to typical canned goods, she recommended donating “individual meals like Hamburger Helper, macaroni and cheese and soups.”
Jim Potts, the main logistics volunteer at the De Soto Food Pantry, said his pantry is always looking for “more nonperishable protein items, like canned ravioli with meat, other canned pastas with meat, chili with meat, and canned fish.”
Meal extenders
When an extra person shows up for dinner, it helps to have some pasta, rice or beans in the pantry to stretch a meal, Hettenhausen said.
“Pasta items can always help a meal extend, as well as rice and bean products,” she said. “Those are healthy items, and they’re also meal extenders. You can always throw a little extra rice or spaghetti in the pot, and it will be enough to make everybody comfortably full.”
“Dry items like cereal, mac and cheese, Hamburger Helper, pasta and rice, or beans in boxes or bags are needed all the time,” Potts said.
Breakfast foods
When schools let out for the summer, parents can no longer rely on free school breakfasts to feed their children. Summer is also when area food pantries have trouble keeping up with the demand.
“We’re usually running short of cereal items, breakfast items, pancake mix, and syrup,” Hettenhausen said. “In another month or two, kids will be off on summer break, so we’re looking for breakfast items like cereals and breakfast bars, not so much the dry granola bars as the fruit bars.”
Other donation suggestions for children home for the summer: pudding, individual fruit cups and peanut butter and jelly.
Perishable items (if fresh)
Although the Boy Scouts and letter carriers may not pick up perishable items, that doesn’t mean the pantries won’t accept them. Ferguson said the Arnold pantry distributes lots of fresh produce.
Potts said his agency doesn’t distribute perishable items unless they’re fresh.
“Since our regular distribution is monthly, we can only accept what will still likely be good by our next distribution day,” Potts said. “We adhere to recommended guidelines for expiration of dairy, eggs and refrigerated food.”
Unusual items
“Any type of food product that comes in, we try to find a fit for it,” Hettenhausen said. “We have some people who don’t like certain things, but other people who just love everything, even if it’s something odd and rare.”
She said one time the pantry received a donation of chicken feet. “That threw us for a loop a little bit, but there are a lot of Asians in the area who take them and make chicken broth out of them.”
Hettenhausen said the pantry also has clients who are Bosnian or Muslim and have certain dietary needs, such as no pork. “We try to make sure that whatever comes in our door, we try to accommodate someone’s need for it.”
Ferguson said gluten-free items are highly sought after, as are low-sugar items for those who have diabetes.
Dented cans – maybe
If the cans are not leaking and aren’t dented along the seams, they can still be distributed. Ferguson said pantry volunteers check every item for its expiration date, and they stock canned goods according to date “to make sure the oldest canned goods go out first.
The cans cannot be dented along the seams, and it must have a label telling what is in the can.”
Potts said donated items “don’t have to be pretty, but damage to the sealing area may cause us to question the safe usability of the item. We prefer to not have items aged beyond its expiration date.”
Personal hygiene and paper products
Although they emphasize collecting food, the representatives said they appreciate receiving non-food items as well.
“We’re constantly looking for toothbrushes and toothpaste, bars of soap, shampoo, toilet paper and paper towels,” Hettenhausen said. “I don’t think people realize a lot of families get food stamps, but you can only buy edible things with them.”
The need is still there
Despite the improving economy, all three food pantry representatives said there is still a need in the county for the service they provide. Hettenhausen and Ferguson said they don’t think the need for food pantries will ever go away.
“The economy is definitely improving, but the need for food does not go away,” Ferguson said. “Many of our clients are senior citizens who rely on our supplemental food in order to have nutritional food throughout the month and their Social Security does not cover all expenses.”
Potts also said there is a great need for food pantries.
“There are elderly barely getting by on very little income,” Potts said. “Disability, illness, disaster and job loss affect even those who never needed help before. Some need help for only a few months, while others have an age or health situation that is not going to change for the better.”
The pantry representatives said gas cards and gift cards for area grocery stores are also appreciated.
To find the address and phone number of your local food pantry, go to stlfoodbank.org/find-food or disabilityresourceassociation.org and click on Jefferson County Hunger Task Force under “What We Do.”
Hidden Veggie Turkey Meatballs
1 small sweet onion, quartered
4 ounces baby carrots
4 mini sweet peppers
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup sesame ginger dressing
6 cups cooked brown rice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place onion, carrots and peppers in food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, finely chop ingredients by hand.
Combine bread crumbs, egg, turkey and veggie mixture in bowl. Mix well. Form mixture into 24 golf ball-sized meatballs.
Place in baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until slightly browned and meat is no longer pink.
Remove from oven and toss with dressing. Serve over one cup brown rice.
Apple Tuna Sandwiches
2 5-ounce cans chunk-light tuna, packed in water, drained
1 green apple, finely diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons honey
12 slices whole-wheat bread
6 large lettuce leaves
In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard and honey. Add tuna, apples and celery. Mix well.
Spread tuna mix evenly on each slice of bread. Top with lettuce leaf and slice of bread.
