10 staples to donate to Baltimore food pantries this holiday season

It’s the time of year for giving — and for some, that includes swinging by a local food pantry to drop off a grocery bag of kitchen essentials.

“The main thing that pantries need during the holiday season is support from their communities in any way, shape or form,” said Eileen Compton-Little, executive director of the Community Crisis Center, a Reisterstown food pantry founded in 1982.

“Just because the pandemic’s over, doesn’t mean that we still don’t need help.”

Before the spring of 2020, about 200 families came through the Community Crisis Center each month. Once the coronavirus pandemic hit, Compton-Little estimated that the pantry, a Maryland Food Bank partner that distributes food on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings, served 300 families per week. The influx continues today, she said, after pandemic-era emergency benefits to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ended earlier this year.

Extra expenses like heating bills add more strain around this time of year, meaning more demand at some food pantries, Compton-Little added.

“The holidays are big challenges,” said Andre Samuel, who opened Baltimore City’s Fishes & Loaves Pantry 14 years ago with his goddaughter, Jessica Tinnin. Starting around Thanksgiving, the pantry, typically open five days a week, serves some 200 people per day, compared to the usual 120 to 150.

But donations from families and individuals also increase around this time of year.

“People want to reach out to people who are less fortunate than themselves,” said Linda Adams, who serves as the liaison between Reisterstown United Methodist Church’s food pantry and the Maryland Food Bank.

“We know how much we have, and that we’re well fed, and you can’t stand the thought of families who are not, who are scraping by,” Adams said.

If you’re planning to donate to a food pantry this holiday season, here’s a shopping list.

1.  Canned fruit and vegetables

At pantries like the Community Crisis Center, canned goods are easier to store than fresh produce, since they don’t require refrigeration.

“We have limited fridge and freezer space,” and it’s almost always full, Compton-Little said. “We are able to accept fresh donations, but we need to know how much is coming and when it’s coming.”

Fishes & Loaves Pantry welcomes canned or fresh vegetables like corn, green beans and potatoes, which Samuel said are desirable for how easy they are to incorporate into a range of meals.

“Those kinds of things stretch,” he said. “You can do a lot of things with potatoes.”

2. Canned meats and soup

Canned meats like tuna, chicken, ham and salmon are always needed at the Community Crisis Center, Compton-Little said.

At Fishes & Loaves Pantry, one family brought in eight turkeys around Thanksgiving, Samuel said. The pantry accepts fresh and frozen meats like chicken and pork because it has ample fridge and freezer space — but a safe option for other pantries is cans.

Canned tuna and chicken, both good sources of protein, “make great sandwiches,” Adams said. The Reisterstown United Methodist Church pantry also includes bread from Panera in the bags of groceries it distributes weekly on Saturdays.

Soup is another canned good that can be easily incorporated into a meal, Adams said.

3. PB&J

Consider donating peanut butter and jelly to pantries like the one at Reisterstown United Methodist Church.

“Kids love it. They will eat it,” Adams said of the tried and true combo, adding that peanut butter is another good source of protein also enjoyed by adults.

4. Rice, macaroni, pasta and cereal

Samuel said that rice, macaroni and pasta are great dry staples to donate to Fishes & Loaves Pantry, because they’re items that go far in the kitchen.

“You give a family a pound of rice, and they can do a lot with rice,” he said. For pastas, sauces are a nice compliment, he added.

Adams added ramen noodles to the list, along with cereal.

5. Breads

At Fishes & Loaves Pantry, Samuel welcomes donations of hotdog rolls and hamburger buns, bagels and other breads, fresh or frozen.

6. 100% fruit juice

With juice — as with all the grocery items the Community Crisis Center distributes — the goal is to “make it as healthy as we can,” Compton-Little said. “It costs you more to be healthier,” she added, so donations of 100% fruit juice are appreciated.

Smaller bottles are easier to fit into the bags distributed by the Community Crisis Center, and plastic is preferred to glass, to avoid breakage.

7. Shelf-stable milk

Shelf-stable milk is especially important for people with children, Compton-Little said. “Since milk is something that people typically always need, it’s good to have the shelf-stable milk” or powdered milk, she said.

It’s also easier for pantries like the Community Crisis Center to store shelf-stable milk, Compton-Little added.

8. Personal care products, from laundry detergent to shampoo

SNAP benefits don’t extend to purchases of personal care and household products often found in grocery stores, Compton-Little said, and those items can be expensive.

The Community Crisis Center accepts donations of paper towels, toilet paper, hygiene products like shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste, and laundry detergent pod packs, which Compton-Little said are easy to divide.

“It’s what people ask for,” Compton-Little said. “Or if we have it, it goes really quick.”

9. Baby supplies

Items like baby food, formula and diapers are in high demand at Fishes & Loaves Pantry, which serves a lot of growing families.

“We get a lot of clients that come asking for those things,” Samuel said.

10. Cash, for food pantries to stretch your dollar

If you’re not able to make it to the grocery store, or want to streamline the process of lending a hand while maximizing the benefit, monetary donations go a long way, Compton-Little said.

Many partners of the Maryland Food Bank can stock up on food in bulk quantities for a reduced price from the nonprofit, meaning a monetary donation can stretch your generosity.

“Their dollar is going to actually get more bang for their buck,” Compton-Little said.

To donate food to Reisterstown’s Community Crisis Center (725 Main St.), call to coordinate your drop off, especially if it’s a large one, or stop by during drive-thru food distribution hours, Mondays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (but expect a line).  

To donate to Baltimore City’s Fishes & Loaves Pantry (2422 W. Patapsco Ave.), stop by in person, Mondays through Fridays between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., or call the Faith Tabernacle church at 410-525-0969.  

To donate to the Reisterstown United Method Church’s pantry (308 Main St.), stop by during food distribution hours, Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

For a list of other pantries in your area, check the Maryland Food Bank’s website.