Bulk & Retail Donations
Large-scale food donations from the manufacturing, warehouse, agriculture and food service industry are critical to our mission.
With your help, we are providing food for better lives.
DONATING FOOD AND PRODUCTS
While community food drives and individual donations are extremely valuable, the scale of our work requires the support of donors in the manufacturing, warehouse/logistics, produce/agriculture and food service industry. Only through the ongoing support of food industry donors can we continue to provide food for better lives each year. To learn more details on donating from Most Needed Items to our Retail Donation Guidebook, scroll down and click on the Helpful Resources tab.
Acceptable Food and Non-Food Items
Produce
Meats and Protein
Dairy and Eggs
Water
Household and Hygiene Products
School Supplies
Houston Food Bank accepts perishable, dry, or bulk products that are:
Rejected by the company but still safe for human consumption or use
Discontinued items
Off spec items
Damaged items (some restrictions apply)
Close-dated items
Various past “best if used by” dated products
Items We Can Not Accept
For the safety of those we serve, Houston Food Bank is unable to accept:
Unsealed packaging
Damaged cans with spillage or rust
Unfrozen meat
Expired baby food
Ice cream
Food with high sugar content
Items with no nutritional or ingredient info
Homemade food items
Perishables from the general community (i.e. backyard garden)
Prescription drugs
Feeding tube formula
Used clothes, mattresses, or furniture
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
Household Items are needed for February
Goal: 400,000 lbs
We are looking for household items including but not limited to:
- Cleaning supplies
- Personal hygiene items
- Paper products
- Mops
- Detergents
To donate, please call 281-786-2676 or email donateASAP@houstonfoodbank.org
MAKE A DONATION
TO SCHEDULE A DONATION
To schedule a delivery for a pre-approved donation of 5 pallets or more to our East Branch warehouse (535 Portwall Street), please contact the receiving office at 713-547-8660 or by email at receiving@houstonfoodbank.org. Please ensure the driver has a bill of lading reflecting the items being donated.
| RECEIVING OFFICE HOURS | INFORMATION NEEDED WHEN SCHEDULING |
|---|---|
| Monday – Friday 6:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. by appointment only.For donations of 5 pallets or less, walk-ins can be seen from 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
|
FOR SMALLER DONATIONS
If you have a donation that is 1 pallet or less of food/products, please consider the following options:
- Locate and contact your local pantry
- Drop the food in a Red Barrel located in Houston-area Kroger and HEB stores
- Register and conduct a food drive donation or drop off donations at our East Branch facility (535 Portwall Street)
- The lobby of our East Branch facility is open to accept donations from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thank you for your interest in the Retail Donation Program. Please refer to our retail donation guidelines for more information. If you have any questions or would like to initiate a retail donation, feel free to reach out to:
Shemika Jenkins
Retail Manager
sjenkins@houstonfoodbank.org
713-398-5036
or
Leonardo Avila
Retail Specialist
lavila@houstonfoodbank.org
832-702-5572
FOOD SHOWS AND DONATIONS
Are you having a food show in the Houston area? Let us know!
Houston Food Bank is experienced in partnering with companies to help rescue unused food from local-area food shows. These events are a great way for our organization to provide unique, and memorable volunteer experiences while fulfilling our mission of providing food for better lives!
For more information on how your company and food show can work with Houston Food Bank, please email donateASAP@houstonfoodbank.org
OUR TOP DONORS
Supplying a Service Area
TOP 3 DONORS
Catering a Community
1 MILLION POUNDS+
Helping a HUB
(500k-999k pounds)
For questions regarding Food Industry Donations, please contact:
donateASAP@houstonfoodbank.org
281-786-2676