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Food Donations

Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach appreciates and encourages food donations to provide hunger relief in our community. Our policy is to accept, with gratitude, any food donation. However, we reserve the right to discard any donation, which may be potentially harmful to the guests, volunteers, and staff of Matt Talbot.

Although Matt Talbot holds a non-profit status and is not bound by all Health Department standards, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to the people we serve. The working poor and homeless are considered to be an at-risk population for compromised immune systems and therefore are more susceptible to foodborne illness caused by the use of outdated or contaminated food. We are called to "nourish & empower one another in a spirit of dignity & love” and ask that any food donation be made with serious consideration for the health and well-being of the individuals we serve.

As a general rule, donate food you would feel comfortable serving to yourself or your family.

Please do not donate:

  • Any food past its expiration date.
  • Any canned goods which have been dented or show signs of rust.
  • Any deer meat or hunted wild game (Matt Talbot does not have the necessary resources to safely prepare this food).
  • Any boxed, bagged, or bottled foods that have been previously opened.
  • Any unwashed produce that shows signs of rot or mildew.

Potentially hazardous foods include any food that consists in whole or in part of milk (or milk products), eggs, meat, poultry, fish, cooked vegetables, or other ingredients which are capable of supporting rapid and progressive growth of infectious and toxigenic microorganisms. Potentially hazardous food should be donated with the assurance that:

  • It has been kept at temperatures of 45° F or below for refrigerated items and 140° F or above for previously cooked items.
  • It has not been thawed at room temperature; rather, it has been thawed in a refrigerator.
  • It has not been previously thawed and re-frozen.
  • It has not been previously heated, refrigerated, reheated, and refrigerated again before being donated.

Food donations can be made Monday-Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Weekend donations should be called into the kitchen in advance to be sure someone is available to accept the donation.

Thank you for your help with making sure our donated food is safe.  If you have any questions, please contact Casey at casey.mckerlie@mtko.org or 402-817-0622.