Food Donations

Most Wanted Foods

At Columbia Pacific Food Bank we are working hard to fight hunger. With your help we can provide our neighbors with more nutritious food. These top 5 items are in high-demand, and allow our clients to prepare easy and nutritious meals.

• Canned meats – tuna, chicken, salmon, beef, corned beef
• Canned soup and chili
• Peanut butter and almond butter
• Canned fruits
• Canned vegtables

We also accept any packaged, self-stable food item as well as local produce both purchased and from your garden.

Please note: Many of our clients do not access to a fully-stocked kitchen. Ready-pull tab cans, easy-opening pouches, etc are encouraged.

Food Donation Guidelines

We are happy to accept donations of non-perishable foods that are in clean containers with ingredient labels intact. Fresh produce is also always welcome. If you have perishables that you would like to donate (meat, eggs, cheese, etc.) please contact the pantry manager. We distribute the freshest, healthiest food possible to our neighbors in need. Please note the following guidelines.

• Labels – Unlabeled food, or any food packages that do not list every ingredient, must be discarded.
• Dented cans – Cans that have sharp creases, bulges, or rust that cannot easily be rubbed off must be discarded. Dents that do not compromise the integrity of the can are okay.
• Homemade items – Food that has been canned or preserved at home must be discarded. Only distribute food that has been processed by a commercial kitchen or company is accepted.
• Fresh produce – We do accept donations of fresh produce from your garden.
• Donations of domestic meat – All domestic meat donations must be processed in a USDA-certified facility. If there is no USDA stamp on the packaging, we can not accept as a donation or distribute.
• Donations of wild game – Home-processed wild game is not acceptable for distribution. Game that has been processed in a state-licensed facility may be accepted as a donation and distributed to clients. The Wildlife Transfer Record form (see Forms section) should be used to track donations of wild game.
• Baby food/formula – Baby food must be distributed by the date shown on the package. Please be sure to check baby food often and discard any post-dated product.
• Post-dated food – Most food codes are to ensure the freshness of food, not its safety. Food that has been canned, packed, or otherwise preserved will lose nutritional value over time, but food that has passed the date stamp is not automatically “bad.”

If you are looking for food assistance, please click here to find your local food pantry. For a food assistance program click here.