donate your food when you move

by Marjory Mohr 10 min read

Here’s how it works:

  • Set aside unopened, non-perishable food items like cans, bottles, and bags
  • Place them in a spot out of your way — no need to pack them up
  • Call your local food bank to see if they offer pickup
  • Arrange for pickup
  • These volunteers will come, pack up your food items, and take them to a local food bank

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Full Answer

What happens to your food donations on Moving Day?

donate your urn-opened, non-perishable food items when you move. Not using a mover? Feel free to drop off any donations at our office. WHAT TO DONATE? Move For Hunger is a national 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that mobilizes the relocation industry to reduce food waste and fight hunger I moveforhunger.org

What should you do with your food when moving?

Jun 11, 2018 · Donating your food when you move is the easiest way to help us help those in need. Move for Hunger is a non profit initiative that helps coordinate donation and volunteer services for over 1,000 relocation companies in the US and Canada. As part of the program, Move For Hunger has collected and distributed 10 million pounds of food !

What is movemove for hunger?

Jun 18, 2019 · Here are the steps for packing food for a move: Make a genuine effort to take with you as few food items as possible. Frozen food. Do NOT bother packing and moving any... Canned goods. Use multiple small boxes to pack canned goods instead of using one big moving box. Why? Canned items are... Dry ...

What is the best food to donate to a food bank?

Feb 13, 2020 · When you’re moving, set aside your unopened non-perishable items (so yes to soup cans and boxes of pasta, no to those freezer-burnt popsicles), and they’ll deliver it to a local food pantry. If you’re a realtor, landlord, rent out your home through Airbnb or work in the moving industry yourself, it’s a terrific resource to recommend to clients. If you’re a class parent, PTA …

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What do you do with food when you move?

It's always a great idea to get rid of as much food as possible before you move. When it comes to having leftover food, a great solution is to donate it to your local food bank, or school food drive. When donating, contact your local food bank to see what they're accepting! Unused, canned food is usually preferred.Dec 28, 2016

Is Move For Hunger credible?

Move For Hunger is a national non-profit organization that has created a sustainable way to reduce food waste and fight hunger. We have mobilized the leaders of moving, relocation, and multi-family industries to provide their customers, clients, and residents with the opportunity to donate their food when they move.

How do you move food long distance?

Get the right equipment: Moving frozen food long distances requires a portable freezer or high-quality cooler. Pack your portable freezer or cooler with cold packs, ice blocks or dry ice to help keep the frozen items cold throughout the journey.Sep 28, 2021

How do you pack food when moving house?

Here's the best way to pack food when moving:Use small to medium-sized moving boxes to pack food supplies such as canned items, glass jars, and glass bottles because they can become too heavy too quickly. ... Avoid bad leaks and spills in the cardboard boxes by using thick resealable Ziploc bags.More items...•Jun 12, 2018

How does food waste impact sustainability and hunger?

When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And if food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide.

Is there hunger in America?

Facts about hunger in America According to the USDA, more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States are food insecure. The pandemic has increased food insecurity among families with children and communities of color, who already faced hunger at much higher rates before the pandemic.

Can you move a fridge with stuff in it?

Perishables won't last unrefrigerated for this time. Damage. Cans and other non-perishables won't spoil during the move. These items may still sustain damage in transit.Apr 24, 2020

How do I keep my food cold while moving?

Keep the food at 40 degrees F or colder. Pack your cooler with several inches of ice or use frozen gel-packs, frozen juice boxes or frozen water bottles. Block ice keeps longer than ice cubes. Use clean, empty milk or water jugs to pre-freeze blocks of ice.

How to Donate Your Food When You Move

Did you know that you can donate non-perishable food items to the local food bank instead of tossing them in the garbage? You don’t even need to haul them to the food bank yourself. Here’s how it works:

Why Donating Your Food Is a Good Idea

Moving is a stressful process, even if you have hired one of the best Saint Paul residential movers. Canned food is heavy, bottles are breakable, bags of noodles can get crushed — why not donate it as a farewell gift to your old home and start fresh in the new?

Why Professional Movers Think Donating Food Is a Good Idea

Relocation companies across the country see first-hand how much food is wasted when people move. The cost of packing glass bottles of unopened vinegar and syrup is more than buying it again in the new location. People don’t want to pay for the expense of moving a bunch of canned goods so they throw it away.

What to do with food supplies before moving out?

And to be able to do just that, you’ll need to do a complete inventory of your food suppli es. Complete a full inventory of the food in your home prior to moving out.

How to reduce food waste when moving out?

To reduce food waste, the best course of action is to try and use most of your leftover food before the scheduled move-out date . Ideally, you will be able to come up with a plan to put to good use the food products in your home fairly early in your preparation.

How to inventory food before moving out?

Cooking and baking supplies: flour, sugar, dry pasta, etc. The easiest way to inventory your food before moving out is to take a pen and a notepad and just write down all the perishable and non-perishable foods you currently have in your home .

Why is it important to have a moving checklist?

In such super-busy and rather stressful situations, a good moving checklist should help you keep track of all the important tasks so that you optimize your pre-move time and keep ...

Is it better to give away food that has not been opened?

That way, a minimal amount of food will be wasted and you’ll feel good about not having to throw away any good food. And yes, it’s much easier to transport or give away non-perishable food products that have not been opened yet (still closed up and sealed). 20 Things To Do Before Moving: The Ultimate Checklist.

Can you donate expired food?

Remember that you won’t be able to donate or give away any expired foods so the only thing you can do is to throw them away or recycle them before Moving day. So, go through the expiration dates of all food items and set aside the ones you should have consumed days, weeks, or even months prior to that moment in time.

Should I do something about my food in my home?

That’s right – you should do something about the food in your home so that Moving day won’t find you with your kitchen cupboards, pantry, refrigerator, and freezer all full to the brim with various types of food items.

Does Goodwill take furniture?

Goodwill: Goodwill as an organization will accept pretty much everything, but check with the rules of your particular local store to ensure they’ll take large furniture. Some Goodwill location volunteers will also come pick up items from your home.

Can you donate large furniture?

Some organizations won’t accept large furniture, but will take smaller furniture and rugs, as well as other household items such as linens, housewares, kitchenware, and small appliances. Organizations that accept large furniture often accept these smaller items as well, but you can broaden your impact by spreading out your donations over multiple charities.

What is Move for Hunger?

Move for Hunger is an organization that works with moving professionals nationwide to pick up unwanted food items from those who are moving and delivers them to local food banks. The non-profit works with 650 relocation companies across 50 states and Canada.

What to do if you don't plan on eating?

Step seven: toss it. Anything that you don’t plan on eating, donating, giving to friends, or bringing with you, should be either thrown away or recycled before the move. This includes all expired foods, which you won’t be able to donate or give away anyway. Recycle all glass bottles, milk containers, and cardboard containers.

What to pack for a move?

Chances are, you’re going to want to bring at least a few unopened, non-perishable items with you on the move. Several things to remember when packing your food: 1 As you begin packing your food, remember to use small to medium-sized moving boxes. When overstuffed with items, such as canned goods and glass bottles, a large moving box may become too heavy to handle and/or could potentially cause damage to what’s inside. So stick to having more small boxes instead of trying to pack everything into one giant box. 2 Use durable, resealable ziplock bags to prevent leaks and spills in your boxes. This is especially important when packing items like flour, sugar, opened spices and soups. You can also find plastic containers at your local hardware store. 3 When packing glass containers, such as unopened mayonnaise, dijon mustard, jams, etc, make sure you secure them in waterproof ziplock bags and properly protect them with bubble wrap before placing them in a box. 4 If you’re embarking on a local move and plan to drive yourself, I suggest bringing a cooler with ice to store any perishables you wish to keep, such as fruits, veggies, milk and more. 5 Finally, make sure you properly label each box, so that you know where your food is once you move in.

What to use to keep boxes from leaking?

Use durable, resealable ziplock bags to prevent leaks and spills in your boxes. This is especially important when packing items like flour, sugar, opened spices and soups. You can also find plastic containers at your local hardware store.

How to make a grocery list?

First thing’s first: figure out what you have. Grab a notepad and pen, and write down your inventory (i.e. what you have left in your fridge, freezer and pantry). Place your items into several different categories, including: Perishables (anything in the refrigerator or freezer); Canned goods (fruit, veggies, soups, legumes, etc); Non-perishables (boxes of cereal, snacks, chips, bottled water, etc); Baking and cooking supplies (flour, sugar, dry pasta, etc); and anything in glass bottles (oils and dressings, alcohol etc). Next to every item, write down the expiration date and/or how much longer the food will still be edible.

What to do with leftovers in the fridge?

Some ideas for what to do with your food include making a pot of chili, sandwiches, pasta dishes, frittatas, stir fry, rice and veggies, breakfast meals for dinner, soups and more.

Why is moving boxes so heavy?

When overstuffed with items, such as canned goods and glass bottles, a large moving box may become too heavy to handle and/or could potentially cause damage to what’s inside. So stick to having more small boxes instead of trying to pack everything into one giant box.

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How to Donate Nonperishable Food, Step by Step

  1. Step 1:Research what food bank institutions are near you to find where to donate food.
  2. Step 2:Find out which food items can be donated to that specific food bank.
  3. Step 3:Gather up all of the items that you wish to donate, being sure to stick to the guidelines on the products and provided by your selected food bank.
  1. Step 1:Research what food bank institutions are near you to find where to donate food.
  2. Step 2:Find out which food items can be donated to that specific food bank.
  3. Step 3:Gather up all of the items that you wish to donate, being sure to stick to the guidelines on the products and provided by your selected food bank.
  4. Step 4: Once you have gathered the food, check to make sure no expiration dates have passed.

The Bottom Line

  • Donating food items to a food bank gets them off your hands and gives you a solution to an inconvenient problem: bringing your heavy cans of food with you on your trip. Better yet, it helps those in need. Find the food bank nearest you to donate all of your non-perishable items before you load up the moving truck.
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do you pack food when moving? Put bagged food into grocery bags and seal it with duct tape to stop them from leaking during the move. If there are spices and other glass jars place them in protective plastic wrap and set them securely into a box. Label perishable items so you can use them or refrigerate them immediately. What do you do with frozen food when moving? I…
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