A lot of people make donations to food pantries this time of year.
I just came back from helping inventory at the one nearest me. They are in trouble. The one closest to you probably is as well. Ours has a lot lot of boxed cereal, dried pasta, juice drinks (the ones in little boxes or pouches that are mostly colored sugar water with just enoug h juice to include it in the description), a surprising amount of junk food , and boxes and boxes of jello, macaroni and cheese, and hamburger helper. They are terribly short of actual real food.
So please if you are going to give pasta give sauce as well. If you are go ing to give boxed meals, give whatever it takes to make them as well. There are some meals and mixes out there that are of the just add water sor t, though they vary tremendously in in quality and are not always available everywhere.
Please do not give box foods that don't work without added meat, unless you r local pantry has refrigeration and can take meat, and in that case give t he meat needed to make the meal as well.
Please remember that the person it is given to probably has no more idea of what to do with a can of jack mackerel than you do.
Here are some things that food pantries always are short of:
Cooking oils and shortenings, particularly healthy ones Shelf stable milk, canned or dried are best. Canned fruit, especially canned in it's own juice, canned or bottled juice that is actual juice is good too. Shelf stable protein, canned or dried beans, canned tuna, and such like. Grains such as oatmeal and rice, whole grains if you can Canned vegetables, 90% of the canned veg that come in locally are green bea ns, a big percentage of the rest is mixed in the can. Just saying so you t hink beyond those.
It is always tempting to give flour, but even if you include leavenings not everyone knows how to cook well enough to use it.
Please remember that the people going to food pantries want healthy food ju st as much as you do.
NightMist