FOOD DONATIONS

Food Drive Information
Most Needed Foods
Liability Concerns

Food donors play a key role in the success of the Food Bank. Each donation, no matter how large or small, plays a significant part in helping us do so much for those who are in need.

To DONATE PRODUCTS, contact Donna at 334-821-9006 or ddemous@foodbankofeastalabama.com
To ARRANGE FOR PICK-UP, contact Donna or Earl at 334-821-9006 or ddemous@foodbankofeastalabama.com
To DROP OFF PRODUCT, click here for directions.

The Food Bank is the central collection facility in East Central Alabama. This means that when you donate to the Food Bank, you will be helping MANY food assistance organizations. You can feel good knowing that your food donations will be handled safely and fairly. We have the storage capability to store:

  • 400 dry pallets
  • 15 refrigerated pallets
  • 124 frozen pallets
  • a sorting room to check product for dates, quality and damage
  • we have the staff to handle donated product including a forklift and driver to unload
  • 4 receiving docks
  • we have access to vehicles to safely transport food donations

All of the organizations that receive food from us are carefully monitored to ensure that they are properly handling, storing and distributing the food to eligible recipients.

FOOD DRIVES

You can make a huge impact anytime by conducting a food drive. It is simple and easy. Food drives can be held in your neighborhood, office, school, or organization. For information on how to collect or donate food from your drive, contact Donna at 334-821-9006 or by e-mail at ddemous@foodbankofeastalabama.com The Food Bank will provide barrels for your food drive and pick them up at your request.

Ideas to enhance your food drive:

  1. Establish a goal for your drive
  2. Assign and oversee support functions (distribution of materials, publicity, handling the food)
  3. Provide each donor with a bag to fill and return with food items
  4. Publicize the suggested food list (or attach it to the collection bag)
  5. Update people on the progress of the drive.
  6. Visually display the food that has been collected
  7. Put posters up in visible locations by a coffee machine or next to the time clock
  8. Decorate collections boxes/barrels
  9. Designate a special day on which to bring food
  10. Use slogans that relate to your company/school
  11. Give prizes for innovation or amount of food collected
  12. Get the company to match the donated food in some way, such as donating a turkey for every 100 pounds of food collected by the employees
  13. Hold an event, meeting or party where admission is cans of food
  14. Let the media know that you are conducting a food drive
  15. Invite a staff member from the Food Bank to address your group

Most needed food drive items:

  • Peanut butter
  • Canned meats (tuna, salmon, chicken, etc.)
  • Canned stews and soups
  • Canned fruits and vegetables
  • Baked beans
  • 100% fruit juices
  • Baking mix, muffin mix
  • Cereals
  • Rice/pasta/spaghetti
  • Oatmeal, grits


LIABILITY CONCERNS


A frequently asked question is “Will I be protected from liability when I donate food?” The answer is “YES!” On October 1, 1996, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (P. S. 210) became law. It was designed to encourage donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations for distribution to needy individuals.

  • It protects you from liability when you donate to a nonprofit organization
  • It protects you from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the needy recipient.
  • It standardizes donor liability exposure. You or your legal counsel no longer have to investigate liability laws in 50 states.
  • It sets a liability floor of “gross negligence” or intentional misconduct for persons as “voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of conduct) that the conduct is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.”
  • Congress recognized that the provision of food close to the date of recommended retail sale is, in and of itself, not grounds for finding gross negligence. For example, you can donate items marked close to their code date for retail sale.

In addition to the national Good Samaritan Law, here in Alabama you are also covered by the Food Donor Liability Act No. 81-976.

“Alabama Safe Foods Act of 2000”

Section 4. Nothing in this act shall prohibit the donation of any food by any sales establishment, food manufacturer, or food distributor to an organization defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Nor shall the provisions of this act prohibit the sale, donation, or other distribution of any food by a Section 501(c)(3) organization to a Section 501(c)(3) organization. Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the term food as used in this section shall not include an out-of-date Class A food or an adulterated food as defined by law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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