Sharing Our Bounty: Donate Food This Holiday Season

The holidays are a time for giving and sharing and enjoying many pleasures among friends and family.  If you have purchased or made too much food for your holiday gatherings, or you simply want to share your good fortune with others, there are a number of food pantries, food banks and shelters that welcome food donations. 

Pete Powell, Director of Homes With Hope, reminded me that shelters and food pantries are always looking for ways to make holidays other than Christmas and New Years special for their families.  “We could use holiday meals on for instance MLK Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day, the Feast of St. Patrick, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day.”  If you find that donating food during the holidays feels good, you may want to consider it throughout the year. 

Following is a list of places and the type of food donations they will accept. 

We invite you to post a comment if you are aware of other establishments in need of food donations.

The Connecticut Food Bank – Fairfield Warehouse

74 Linwood Ave., Fairfield. 203.256.1935

Accepts canned goods, macaroni and cheese, powdered milk, rice, dry beans, spaghetti and sauces, canned meat and tuna; as well as personal care items: shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, shaving cream and diapers.

Drop Off 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mon. – Fri.

Operation Hope Shelter

50 Nichols St., Fairfield. 203.254.2935

Accepts prepared/cooked food and baked items that have been refrigerated as needed.

Drop off 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Mon. – Sun.

Operation Hope Food Pantry

636 Old Post Rd., Fairfield. 203.292.5588

Accepts canned goods and non-perishable items.

Drop off 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mon. – Fri.

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County

461 Glenbrook Road‚ Stamford. 203.358.8898

Needs canned tuna or chicken, soups, breakfast cereals, peanut butter / grape jelly, rice, powdered milk, pasta, jarred sauce, canned vegetables, crackers, juices, macaroni & cheese, and applesauce to supply 100 non-profit agencies that service child care programs, safe houses, shelters and pantries in six surrounding towns.

Drop off 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Mon. – Fri. 

Homes With Hope (The Gillespie Center Shelter)

Jessup Lane, Westport. 203.226.3426

Accepts cooked food if it has been properly refrigerated, baked goods, canned goods, or frozen meals that can be thawed for residents when volunteers don't make it to the shelter. Maryellen Estrada, Program Director at the Gillespie Center, can give more details.  You can reach her at 226-1191 x 2 or mestrada@homeswithhopect.org.  

Drop Off 8.m. - 8 p.m., Mon. – Sun.

Homes With Hope (The Bacharach Community)

3 Wassal Lane, Westport

Accepts cooked food if it has been properly refrigerated, baked goods or canned goods. If you are interested in providing food at other times of the year, you can contact Program Director Paris Looney at 222-9260 or plooney@homeswithhopect.org

Drop Off 9a.m. - 8 .p.m., Mon. – Sat.  Best to call first 203.222.9260

The Open Door Shelter (formerly Norwalk Emergency Shelter)

4 Merritt St., Norwalk (between S. Main and Chestnut).203.866.1057

Accepts food only if it has been cooked in a commercial kitchen and canned/dry goods.

Drop off 9 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Mon. – Fri.

The Christian Community Action Food Pantry

98 S. Main St, Norwalk (in the Neon Building – 1st floor). 203.899.4585

Accepts non-perishable canned goods (proteins especially) and frozen meat.

Drop off 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Mon. – Fri. and the second Sat. of every month