Have an excess of groceries on your hands and not know where to go next? There is an estimated 70 billion pounds of food waste in America yearly. There’s always a better way to go than throwing it all away though! Reduce your waste footprint and fight food insecurity in your community by donating to these local food pantries in Philadelphia!
Cherry Pantry
We have our very own food donation site right on Campus!
At Temple, a report during the 2017-18 academic year found that 35 percent of students experience food insecurity, which can be exacerbated by the lengthy process of securing government aid, like cash assistance or food stamps.
The Cherry Pantry launched in February 2018 as a response to food insecurity, or the lack of consistent and nutritious meals, experienced by more than one-third of college students in the United States. The Pantry accepts food donations and personal hygiene products.
Hours of Operation:
- Tuesday: 1 pm to 5 pm
- Wednesday: 1 pm to 5 pm
- Thursday: 4 pm to 8 pm
Location: Howard Gittis Student Center, Room 224A.
Donations at the pantry are accepted during operating hours (see above) and at the Dean of Students Office (rm. 304 HGSC), 8:30-5:00, when the pantry is not open.
Visit the Cherry Pantry here.
Other Local Food Pantries
Instead of waiting to clear out your pantry by throwing away expired food, take time now to pull out the acceptable items for donation. Use this website to find all of the food banks in Philadelphia, or any area you may be in. Some examples are:
Items to Donate
Not sure what to donate? We’ve created a list to help you out. Remember all items should be unopened. Before donating it’s important to check the expiration date on the package. Some pantries may not accept expired items. It’s best to check prior to donating the items.
- Meals in a can (soup, stew, chili)
- Tuna or canned chicken
- Peanut butter, or other nut butters
- Canned fruit in its own juice or water
- Low-sodium canned vegetables
- Olive or canola oil
- Spices
- Low-sugar whole grain cereals
- canned beans
- dry beans
- rolled oats
- brown rice
- quinoa
- nuts, unsalted
- seeds, unsalted
- shelf stable milk and milk substitutes
- whole grain pasta
- low-sodium pasta sauce
- popcorn kernels (not microwave popcorn)
- unsweetened apple sauce
- whole grain, low-sugar cold cereals
- canned tomatoes
- dried fruits, no sugar added
- honey
- chicken, beef and vegetable broths and stock
Additional Tips
- Do not donate anything that is expired
- Pop-top lids are preferable over cans needing a can opener
- Try to avoid foods with glass packaging
- Separate food and personal items (toothbrushes, razors, etc.)
We hope to see you at one of these local food pantries soon! Want to learn more about solutions to food waste? Check out our blog, “The Future of Food” where we discuss how 3-D printing food can be “a direct solution to climate change”!
Websites used for food items: Second Harvest Food Bank & Mother Nature Network