The "Season of Giving" continues across North Texas and many will donate to local food pantries. But, are you donating what local families really need?
Hearts may be in the right place but sometimes the wrong food is being donated. Food banks, pantries and soup kitchens across the country said they have seen a large amount of junk food donated.
"We don't only want feed people, but we want to feed them with nutritious food," Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at North Texas Food Bank, Simon Powell said. "There is such a link to access to nutritious food and health benefits that we really encourage donations to be of healthy foods."
The North Texas Food Bank gladly accepts all donations but want to educate the public about what is really needed to help keep families in need healthy.
"These are things like low sodium products, particularly any kind of canned tuna. Canned meat is also very welcomed," Powell said. "Low sodium canned vegetables, low sodium canned fruit in its juice is all very welcome. Really those are the items that we need the most."
You should possibly consider reading labels of what you plan to donate as you would what you are feeding your family.
"Many of them don't get access to enough of the nutritious food," Powell said. "They may have problems getting to a supermarket or issues with mobility getting to a pantry so what we need to do is provide them access to the food that is nutritious for them."
