Each week, The River serves over 4,000 people throughout Dane County with free groceries, meals, and personal care items. We need your help to keep the pantry stocked with a variety of items. We accept food and supplies, as well as clothing and small household goods.
Donation Drop-off Hours
All donations can be dropped in the donation bin in the back parking lot of The River Food Pantry (3301 Packers Ave) AT ANY TIME.
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Food and Supplies
Most-Needed Items:
- Hearty soup with protein
- Cereal (hot and cold)
- Gluten-free items
- Rice
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Pop-top canned goods
- Microwavable meals
- Canned fruit
- Canned beans
- Granola bars
- Fruit cups
- Paper products (toilet paper, tissues, paper towels)
- Menstrual products (pads, liners, tampons)
Accepted:
- Non-perishable, non-expired food
- Hygiene items
- Cleaning supplies
- Pet food
- Garden produce (Please wash and give directly to a staff member or volunteer.)
- Paper bags (Grocery size preferred. No plastic bags, please.)
- Egg cartons
Not Accepted:
- Perishable food
- Medications, vitamins, supplements, or tobacco products
Food Donation Guidelines:
- We cannot accept open food containers. An open box of individually wrapped items that are closed is OK.
- We prefer donations in smaller package sizes or individual servings that can be easily distributed to each household. For example, 2 pound bags of rice or flour rather than a 50 pound bag.
- Do not leave donations outside the donation bin or facility. Items left outside can be damaged by weather and cannot be used.
Accepted:
- New or gently used bed sheets
- New or gently used towels
- New or gently used blankets
- New or gently used kitchen items such as dishes, glassware, pots, and pans (Please no knives)
- New or gently used bathroom accessories
Not Accepted:
- Furniture
- Used undergarments (No used bras, underwear, or socks)
- Dirty or damaged shoes (Please only gently used or new shoes)
- Items with stains or tobacco smoke residue
- Items covered in animal hair
- Items with holes
- Alcohol/logos references
- Inappropriate graphics/sayings
- Crop tops
- Costumes
- “Out of Season” clothing. (For example, no spring/summer clothing during fall/winter months)
- Used pillows
- Children’s car seats, highchairs, cribs/bassinets or other baby products
- Medical equipment
- Knives or weapons
- Small or large appliances
- Electronics
Clothing Donation Guidelines:
- Please wash your items prior to donating. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to wash clothing.
- Please only donate clothing that you or your family would wear. We want to give away clothing that makes people feel confident and are in good condition.
- Do not leave donations outside the donation bin or facility. Items left outside can be damaged by weather and cannot be used.
- If you have questions about donating clothing and household goods, contact Amanda at amanda@riverfoodpantry.org.
- Anytime we reach storage capacity, clothing and houseware items may be shared with other nonprofit partners who serve people in our community.
While we appreciate your donations, if items do not meet our guidelines, we cannot accept them. We must dispose of these items when they are donated and unfortunately add to our costs.
If your donations are part of a food drive or fundraiser, please contact communitydrives@riverfoodpantry.org.
The River Food Pantry is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and the value of your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Donate via Amazon
You can also purchase food and essentials off The River’s list of most-needed items. Amazon will ship your purchases directly to us, and we will distribute your gifts to our neighbors in need.