Donating
Acord gladly accepts donations of non-perishable food that has not “expired.”
Before you drop groceries off at the pantry, please take a few moments to check the expiration date on every food item. If a product is past its expiration date, please dispose of it at home. We do not distribute expired food to our patrons. Donated items that are past their expiration date will just be thrown away -- and the pantry must pay extra trash fees for disposing of these items.
Please bring donations to the pantry only when it is open for business (Wed. 10 a.m. - 12 noon, Saturdays 9 a.m. -12 noon). Bags of food left outside the pantry when the building is closed may be damaged by heat or rain, and may have to be discarded. Donations of food also can be left in a collection bin in the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library (see www.hwlibrary.org for library hours.
Acord distributes food, toiletries, and household paper and cleaning products. We cannot accept donations of other items.
Acord’s “Most Wanted List”
Acord obtains some items at very low cost from food banks. (See below.) Here is a list of food we CANNOT get from food banks in the quantities we need. It is especially helpful to receive these products as donations.
- Jelly & Jam (all flavors)
- Coffee, tea. & cocoa mix
- 100% juice in cans, bottles or juice boxes
- Healthy school snacks for kids (granola bars, raisins, etc.)
- Baby food & formula
- Diapers
- Essential personal care items (soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, tampons, etc.)
- Cereal -- all kinds
- Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard & salad dressing
- Rice (all kinds)
- Meals in a can: chili, beef stew, Chef Boy R Dee
- Baked beans
- Chunky, hearty soups
- Baking mixes
We appreciate donors’ generosity, and want to make sure your shopping dollars go as far as they can (for your sake as well as Acord’s!). In that spirit, here is a list of items Acord often can obtain from food banks at prices well below what you might pay at a supermarket.
- Peanut butter
- Pasta
- Spaghetti sauce
- Mac & cheese
- Canned vegetables and fruit
- Toilet paper
- Frozen meats and fish
- Cheese
- Some snack items
- Basic cereals (corn flakes, oat rings, etc.