Ever wonder what happens after you make a food donation to Valley Outreach? We take great care to make sure every delicious donation is food shelf ready! We check every item to ensure the “use by” date aligns with the standards in the USDA Foodkeeper app. (A great reference for everyone cleaning out their pantries – the Foodkeeper app shows how long an item is good past the date on the package.)

Next, we check food donations to make sure the items are in good condition – unopened, no major dents or leaks, safety seals are intact, etc. Importantly, any food that is damaged or expired is thrown out.

Food items of good quality, are sorted into color-coded bins that corresponds to their location in the food shelf. Then the food goes right to the food shelf floor! (If the shelves are full the food hangs out in our warehouse until there is room.)

All this work is done by dedicated volunteers committed to providing a dignified and positive shopping experience. Our shoppers appreciate this commitment to food safety and quality.

How you can help:

• Check your non-perishable food donation items before you donate – unexpired, unopened and in good condition is a great first check.
• Volunteer to work in our warehouse! An important volunteer job is sorting food donations.
• Host a food drive for Valley Outreach.
• Got a few minutes? Check out our NEW food sorting training video to learn more.