Donating Distressed, Surplus, or Unsaleable Product or Fresh Produce

Each year, billions pounds of food and grocery products are thrown away. For example:

1,000 tons of bananas.
1,000,000 pounds of laundry detergent.
10,000,000 cans of green beans.

All of this food might have been thrown away and wasted. Instead, due to the generosity of our donors, all of this food and grocery products went to hungry Americans in need.

The America's Second Harvest Network provides a business solution for your distressed or surplus product.  We can help your bottom line, and your product donation helps Americans in need.

As an America's Second Harvest partner you receive:

• Liability protection
• Savings in storage and inventory, transportation, and dumping costs
• Free product pick-up from any location in the U.S.
• Pick-up and tracking of product from all of your customer facilities
• Complete product tracking and recall capabilities
• A possible reduction in your tax bill
• High standards of operation established and inspected by FMI and GMA
• Enhanced public image
• National and local presence
• The ability to help millions of hungry Americans

Donation Process

Here's how to start:

Please have the following information included in your fax or email, or prepared before you call:

• Product location and address, contact name, and phone number
• Product description
• Current condition of product
• Total number of cases and/or pallets available
• Case weights and configuration/number of cases per pallet
• Transportation and storage specifics (dry, refrigerated, frozen)
• Reason for donation (code date issue, unlabeled, etc.)
• Contact name and address for person receiving the receipt
• Extended shelf-life if product is out of or close to code

To donate product (distressed or surplus) in any amount, please contact:

Diane Letson, Director of Food Sourcing
800.771.2303 x 6508
312.263.4357 (fax)
dletson@secondharvest.org.

To donate fresh produce (distressed, surplus, or first-line) in any amount, please contact:

Rick Bella, National Produce Manager, at America's Second Harvest:
800.771.2303 x 6507
312.263.4357 (fax)
rbella@secondharvest.org.

What we provide:

• An America's Second Harvest network member will pick up your product at no cost to you.
• We will also send a detailed receipt for tax purposes.

If you do not have product to donate at this time but still want to support our hunger-relief efforts, you can make a secure donation online.

On behalf of Americans across the country, thank you!