DONATE FOOD
WHERE WE GET OUR FOOD
types of food donors
We are so excited to work with food donors who share our vision of solving hunger, food waste, and environment problems. Our food is picked up on a set schedule Monday through Friday from hundreds of local food businesses, including:
Cafeterias (corporate, school, hospital)
Caterers
Dairies
Grocery Stores
Farmers Markets
Hotels
Restaurants
Wholesalers
AND MORE!
See if you are eligible to donate below!
are you eligible to donate food?
I am an individual donating food from my home.
- Food must not be opened.
- Food must not be expired. (Within reason – don’t send us 12-year-old spices from your pantry)
- Food must not be homemade – we cannot accept a casserole or cake that you made. We know it’s delicious, it’s just a rule we have to follow.
- Frozen or refrigerated foods must have been kept at proper temps prior to donation.
- You can call us to schedule a pick-up. We will send a van to pick up the food if your items weigh 50 lbs. or more, or if you are donating enough to feed 20 people or more.
I am a restaurant or food distributor looking for a place to donate extras.
- Prepared foods must be labeled according to Health Dept and Serve Safe standards, including the date the item was prepared, what is in the container, and the name of the donating business.
- Canned goods, meats, and packaged goods must not be opened.
- Items must be donated to us in their original containers. That means you can’t pour flour into a paper bag and send it to us.
- All frozen and refrigerated foods must have been kept at proper temps prior to donation.
- Potluck is happy to provide aluminum steam pans and lids at no charge to you.
- Potluck can pick up donations on a regularly scheduled interval or you can call us on an as-needed basis.
I am an event planner or event host looking for a place to donate leftovers.
- Your donation cannot have been sitting out on a self-serve buffet.
- Your donation must have been kept at proper temps prior to donation.
- Your donation must be packed into aluminum steam pans, one item per container, and labeled with the date it was prepared, the contents of the container, and the event name or caterer’s name.
- Potluck is happy to provide aluminum steam pans and lids at no charge to you.
- Potluck can schedule a driver to pick up your food at the end of your event if we have a 2-week notice. Otherwise, we are happy to arrange a pick up on the next business day if the food can be safely stored until that time. Call or email us so we can work with you during the planning stages of your event.
get green restaurant certified
Get your restaurant certified! The Little Rock Zoo and the City of Little Rock Sustainability Office are proud to partner on the Swing Into Action: Green Restaurant Certification Program (GRCP) Guidelines. Potluck Food Rescue is happy to play a role in helping restaurants build their sustainable foundation.
WHAT TO KNOW
donation FACTS
DONATING FOOD HAS BENEFITS
The benefits of donating food go well beyond fighting hunger and greenhouse gas emissions. Food donations are tax deductible and help to get you closer to meeting your sustainability and carbon emission goals. Potluck Food Rescue issues annual reports to food donors to help them keep up with their annual food donation totals as well as their impact on the environment.
OUR FOOD DONORS ARE PROTECTED
The “Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act” (Public Law 104-210) protects food donors from liability when donating food in good faith to nonprofit organizations like Potluck feeding the hungry.
The “Food Donation Improvement Act of 2021” expands the liability protections to include donations of an apparently fit grocery product or apparently wholesome food.
Our trained employees and volunteers pick up food and deliver it to our warehouse. Because much of our donated food is perishable, it is redirected within 24 hours.
OUR PROCESS IS SAFE
All of our employees are Serve Safe Certified, plus we use temperature control carrying bags and take short trips that ensure the food is kept at safe temperatures.
We pay close attention to food recalls. If any food is recalled for bacterial contamination, it is pulled from our process and discarded. This is the only time our food goes to a landfill.
JOIN OUR TEAM OF FOOD DONORS
DONATING FOOD IS EASY
Tired of throwing out food at your food business? Contact us and we’ll get it to someone who needs it. You can be part of our mission to solve hunger, food waste, and environment issues. Join our mission today!
Call us at 501.371.0303 if your food needs to be donated during business hours. Otherwise, send us an email!
