Food Pantry Brands Overthink

[DisorientingSneeze]

I’m in a spiral of overthink. Perhaps you can throw me a rope in the form of your opinions.

When donating to the food pantry, how do you decide whether to buy name brand or store brand stuff?

On the one hand, I think it is important that the people we serve in these donations not be sifting through only everyones unwanted cans from the back of their own pantry. The idea of giving your best to people in need to show them they matter certainly comes into play.

On the other hand, for my own family I buy store brand rather than name brand products in most cases. If my own family would eat it, does that make it good enough?

Better to give more food that is store brand? Less food, but name brand?

For context, my very large parish runs a very large food pantry. A lot of the parishoners (not myself) are wealthy. I include this so you will know it is a well-stocked pantry.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

For the food bank/pantry, I buy the same quality of stuff that I buy for myself. No better, no worse. And I don’t donate out of my own supply.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

That seems like a good rule. That’s what I did this time, just doubled the things I was buying for myself that were also on the list of needed items in the bulletin.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

Baby food. Diapers. Baby wipes.

Around here, these items are often overlooked.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

With that too I buy Kroger brand.
I guess they don’t need Kotex, as long as its not someone’s sketchy leftovers.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

They print that in our bulletin often so that we can shop for what they are short on. I notice adult diapers and wipes are often listed. Maybe people get embarrassed buying them. I should start getting those.

 

[Tommy999]

I donate money to the pantry itself and let them decide what is most needed and what brand to get. I think they purchase store brands for the most part because the pantry is in a poor part of town where quantity is the overriding need, but the pantry also partners with certain grocery stores who occasionally donate name brands, too.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

I donate money to the pantry itself and let them decide what is most needed and what brand to get

I might start doing that instead after lent. It certainly solves the problem of what they prefer. For now the kids are more involved if I actually grocery shop, so that’s where we are at.

 

[Calliope]

Like others have mentioned, I buy the same brands I buy for my own use. When my kids were young, they shopped with me and each picked out something to bring to the food pantry, something they themselves liked to eat. I didn’t want them thinking that folks who needed help were different from us.

They might not remember it, but when they were very young we received help with food and Xmas a few times. I like being able to pay it forward, indeed, I never know if/when I’ll be on the receiving end again.

 

[Irishmom2]

I happen to buy a lot of store brands for my own family and that is what I donate. I love to buy things when they are buy one, get one too, because that means even more things to donate.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Just make sure you check the dates and don’t donate from your cuboards cans or boxes of food that have expired or products that were already opened. While working at a food pantry I came across more than once items that were not full or had been opened!! And items that were expired.
Don’t use food donations as a way to clean out your pantry.
I would recommend if it is a brand you yourself would eat, it is okay to donate.

 

[F_Marturana]

I sometimes go shopping and pick things up extra on sale to donate at another time.

But when I donate, I give what I would eat. Nothing expired or icky.

 

[Thom18]

If there’s a decent enough sale, I’ll buy from that (name brand or otherwise) for the quantity. I also grab off the clearance rack for clothing for the same reason.

 

[F_Marturana]

Supermarket gift cards are good to donate. Also detergent and cleaning products.

 

[DeniseNY]

I think store brands are fine.

 

[DeniseNY]

Just make sure you check the dates and don’t donate from your cuboards cans or boxes of food that have expired or products that were already opened. While working at a food pantry I came across more than once items that were not full or had been opened!! And items that were expired.
Don’t use food donations as a way to clean out your pantry.

That is horrible!

 

[Dlee]

We had a client who didn’t select any canned goods - come to find out, he didn’t have a can opener. (someone gave him one from the parish kitchen). There are so many things that we don’t consider.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

We had a client who didn’t select any canned goods - come to find out, he didn’t have a can opener.

Wow! So the price difference is definitely worth it if it comes down to a can with a pull ring versus one without.

 

[Grizzly1]

A lot of store brand products are indistinguishable from name brand products. A lot of Costco brand products are actually better. I only buy name brand if the store brand is out of stock.

 

[Tommy999]

My experience as well. Most of the time in a blind taste test I wouldn’t be able to tell much difference between store brand and name brand canned goods.