The Food Bank welcomes food donations from individuals and companies alike. If you would like to make a donation of food as an individual, please click the link at the bottom of this page: Food Drives, Food Donationor consider making a cash donation. If you represent a company in the food industry and would like to make a corporate donation, please read on for more information.

The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley receives several hundred thousand pounds of donated food and non-food items each week from the food industry. No donation is too great or too small. Every donation plays a part in making it possible for the Food Bank to provide over 15 million pounds of food and grocery products each year for hungry and disadvantaged people. The Food Bank has the capacity to serve as your one-stop resource for making optimal use of unmarketable product, giving you the opportunity to conveniently reach nearly 400 non-profit agencies with your donations.

Who Donates Food?

The food industry is the backbone of food banking. Hundreds of local and national companies donate quality food to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, including:

  • Distributors
  • Farmers
  • Food Brokers
  • Manufacturers
  • Foodservice Operations
  • Retailers
  • Wholesalers

What Type of Food is Donated?

The Food Bank accepts donations of shelf-stable, fresh and frozen food, and non-food items such as paper goods, personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies – basically any item available from a grocery retailer, distributor or farm. These products may no longer be marketable, but if they are still good to use and can be safely consumed they are of great value to the non-profits the Food Bank serves.
There are many reasons why companies choose to donate, including:

  • Production flaws
  • Overproduction
  • Mislabeling
  • Unlabeled product (can be accepted with verification of ingredients)
  • Discontinuation of product line
  • Pack changes or reformulations
  • Code dates – guidelines are researched and followed for safely utilizing close or past dated products
  • Cosmetic packaging damages
  • Shipping errors
  • Deliveries that are not accepted and cannot be returned cost-effectively
  • Product samples or test market items
  • Unharvested or imperfect produce

The Food Bank can accept virtually any food or non-food product. However, we cannot accept items under the following conditions:

  • Product that has been thawed
  • Prepared food that has been exposed to public self-service
  • Product that has been repackaged, opened or removed from its original packaging

Benefits to Our Food Industry Partners

  • Tax Incentive
    • All businesses are eligible for a tax deduction for donations of product to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. Businesses can deduct from their taxes an amount equal to the cost of the donated items plus one-half their fair market value, or two-thirds the cost, whichever is less. For more information on this tax incentive, call 845-534-5344
  • Liability Protection – The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996
    • Protects food donors from liability when donating to a 501©3 non-profit organization
    • Protects donors from civil and criminal liability for all product donated in good faith
    • Standardizes donor liability exposure
    • For more information see The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act
  • Convenience and savings in storage, inventory, transportation and dumping costs
  • Complete product tracking and recall capabilities
  • Product donation receipt showing item(s) and total weight
  • Safe Food Handling Training
  • The most important reason of all: more than 40,000 people need food assistance each week in the Food Bank’s service area

Donating is Easy

For more information about making an Industry/Farm donation or to schedule an Industry/Farm donation pick-up or delivery, contact:

Amy Robillard
Perishable Product Manager
845-534-5344 x107
ARobillard@foodbankofhudsonvalley.org

 

The Food Bank picks up and receives deliveries Monday-Friday.
To help us best prepare for your donation, please provide the following product information:

  • Company name, contact(s), address, phone, fax and e-mail
  • Receipting address, including county (if different from product location)
  • Date and time you would like the product picked up (or delivered to the Food Bank)
  • Amount / number of pallets
  • Product information and reason for donation – best-used-by dates, pack size, pallet configuration, information about extended shelf life, etc.