Help Us Fill Our Warehouse
Providing food to hungry children, families, and senior citizens is the foundation of our work, and it would not be possible without the generous contributions of the food industry, Feeding America, food drive sponsors, and individual food donors.
Food Drives
The Capital Area Food Bank collects over one million pounds of food each year from food drives. You can make a huge impact by conducting a food drive in your neighborhood, office or school. No donation is too small.
For information on conducting a food drive, download this zip file: Food Drive Info or contact the Food Resources department via email.
Food Industry Donations
The work of the Capital Area Food Bank is truly a community effort, assisted in large part by the continuing generosity of the food industry. If not for regular donations by manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, supermarkets, and growers, there would be significantly less food for the CAFB and its partner agencies to distribute to those in need. Whether it’s excess inventory, surplus from test marketing, or product that is cosmetically imperfect, short code dated, or minimally out of specification – if it is product you would make use of for your family, the food bank can use it to feed people.
For more information on food industry donations, download this PDF: Food Industry Donations
Contact: Food Resources Department at 202-526-5344 or via email: foodresources@capitalareafoodbank.org
Individual Food Donations
The CAFB gladly accepts unopened, nonperishable food items from individual donors. Donations can be dropped off at either our DC or northern Virginia warehouses on Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
To see a list of our most-needed food items, download the CAFB Most Wanted Items List!
Non-perishable Food Items:
- Canned Proteins (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter)
- Canned Fruits in Own Juices or Light Syrup (pineapples, peaches, and pears)
- 100% Fruit Juices (all sizes including juice boxes)
- Grains (pasta, whole wheat pasta, rice, brown rice, macaroni and cheese)
- Condiments (tomato based sauces, light soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, light salad dressings)
- Low Sodium/ No Salt Added Canned Vegetables (mixed, green beans, corn)
- Soups (beef stew, chili, chicken noodle, turkey rice)
- Multigrain Cereal (cheerios, cornflakes, grapenuts, raisin bran)
Hygiene Products:
- Diapers
- Deodorants for men and women
- Feminine products
- Toilet paper
- Tissues
- Soap
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo