Foodlink relies on people like you to help feed the approximately 150,000 women, children, seniors, working poor and people with disabilities who turn to our member programs each year. With your help, Foodlink warehouses and distributes food to 450 food pantries, soup kitchens and other food assistance programs throughout a 10-county area.
Every donation helps fight hunger in our community. Foodlink offers a variety of ways to make large and small donations as an individual, corporation, or food company.
Individuals
Single Donations
Moving? Cleaning? Extra food in your pantry?
Foodlink and our network of 450 food assistance programs always appreciate the generosity of individuals who want to make a difference. Whether it is a few cans from your pantry or a few boxes of household supplies, Foodlink will gladly accept your donation and distribute it to where it is most needed. Foodlink will also accept non-food donations in good condition.
All food items to be donated must be:
In their original, unopened packages
Within the expiration date on the package
In plastic jars or containers, not glass
No homemade food items can be accepted
Non-food items that are new or in gently used condition only
How to Make a Single Donation:
Contact Foodlink to schedule a time to drop off or a pick up your donation. Pick ups can be arranged for donations of 7 boxes or more or large non-food item donations. Please contact us for more information at jbaldanza@foodlinkny.org or call (585) 328-3380 x149
Food Drives
Holding a food drive is a fun and easy group activity and helps give people a sense of social responsibility. Food drives also provide critically needed nonperishable food for community programs throughout our area.
For more information on how to organize your own food drive, and most needed foods, contact our Food Sourcing manager at (585) 328-3380 x149 or jbaldanza@foodlinkny.org
We will be happy to work with your organization to provide food drive barrels, materials and a Foodlink representative to come out to speak to your organization about the difference your efforts can make for our neighbors in need. Please see the Food Drive Resources section for more helpful tips to make your food drive a success.
The following files are in PDF and require Acrobat Reader.
Food Drive Resources
Food Drive Flyer 
This informational flyer lists the types of foods we are looking for and can be used to promote your food drive.
BackPack Program
The BackPack Program provides children who experience hunger with a bag of nutritious food on weekends and school holidays. You can help by collecting kid-friendly food or by becoming a school sponsor.
Regardless of how you set up your food drive, have fun with it and let people you are working with know how valuable their contribution is to the people we serve.
Together we can help end hunger at home.
Corporations
Your company can help end hunger at home by hosting a food drive, volunteering as a group at the food bank, and by supporting our annual events. (links to topics below)
Food Drives
Holding a food drive is a fun team-building activity and helps give people a sense of social responsibility. Food drives also provide critically needed nonperishable food for our network of food pantries. Learn how to hold a successful food drive and view our list of most-needed foods.
To hold a corporate food drive, contact our Food Sourcing Manager at (585) 328-3380 x149.
Annual Events & Campaigns
Foodlink holds a variety of annual events and campaigns that help us to raise food for our community’s poor and hungry. Your organization can participate in and support these efforts in different capacities from purchasing tickets to events, becoming an event sponsor, and checking out hunger at your local store.
If you are interested in participating in events and campaigns, please contact (585) 328-3380 or info@foodlinkny.org.
Volunteering
Foodlink relies not only food donations, but also on the generous donation of time to help sort and package food in our warehouse. We are able to arrange volunteer projects for 1 person to 100. Volunteering is a great team building exercise for your staff and a great way to give back to the community.
Learn about our many volunteer opportunities by visiting the Volunteer section of this website, or by calling our Volunteer Coordinator at (585) 328-3380 x159 or email volunteers@foodlinkny.org.
Food Company Donations
Foodlink serves as a solution provider for your company by accepting food donations that can lead to cost savings, tax benefits and media exposure, while protecting your company from liability. Foodlink also accepts nonfood donations, such as office equipment, to help our member programs and the clients they serve.
We urge you to join your peers in donating food and nonfood products to Foodlink. To make a food donation or take a tour of our warehouse, please contact info@foodlinkny.org.
Why Donate Food
Donating food makes good business sense. Here are just a few reasons why:
TAX DEDUCTION: The 1976 Federal Tax Law (H.R. 10612) permits you to deduct all of the costs of producing, packaging and delivering your products — plus up to 50 percent of the difference between the cost and the fair market value.
COST SAVINGS: In salvaging food and other products, your company eliminates dumping costs.
INVENTORY CONTROL: A food donation can help reduce your surplus of hard-to-move inventory, and inventory that can be eaten but not sold.
COMPANY PROMOTION: Foodlink promotes our food donors through a variety of communications and marketing materials, from our newsletters and website to event signage and press outreach.
COMMUNITY GOODWILL: Your support and goodwill will win you the respect of the community.
PROUD STAFF: Employees feel good about their company's role in making a difference in their community.
How to Donate Food
Making a food donation to Foodlink is time and cost efficient:
EASY CONTACT: Contact our Director of Food Bank OperationsWarehouse, at (585) 328-3380 x155 or email mknaub@foodlinkny.org
IMMEDIATE FOOD PICKUP: Foodlink’s fleet of trucks is on hand to pick up your donation anywhere in our 10-county service area.
STREAMLINED WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: Your food donation will be stored in our 100,000-square-foot warehouse, 40,000 square foot cooler or 30,000 square foot freezer. Each donation will be assigned a unique food bank item code for easy tracking and distribution.
EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION: Your donation will be quickly distributed to needy people through our member programs, which are monitored and trained to ensure that donated product does not reenter the marketplace.
INSTANT FEEDBACK: Your donation will be tracked, documented and receipted.
LEGAL PROTECTION: Your company is protected from liability by the Good Samaritan Act.
What to Donate
Foodlink Food accepts anything from cases to truckloads of dry-stored, nonperishable, cooler, or frozen food and nonfood items. Call Foodlink at (585) 328-3380 if your products are:
Surplus
Cosmetically damaged
Mislabeled or unlabeled
Code-dated
Discontinued, test-market and private-label brands
Under- or overweight items
Seasonally packaged
Bulk packed
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