Wedding Food Donations

Do Your Part!

If you’re wondering why we’re including a brief item about recycling on a site like HereComesTheGuide.com, it’s because parties and special events often generate recyclable materials and leftover food that the bride and groom don’t want to take home. Nowadays, you and the caterer can feel good by donating the excess, and recycling plastic bottles, glass, metal and paper. An added benefit is that food donations are tax deductible for either you or the caterer. And if you recycle, the cost for extra garbage containers (bins) can be eliminated or reduced.

Food donations are distributed to teenage drop-in centers, youth shelters, alcoholic treatment centers, AIDS hospices, senior centers and refugee centers throughout the region.

Your packaged food can be picked up the day of the event or brought back to the caterer’s kitchen to be picked up later on. Place food in clean plastic bags, plastic containers or boxes. Perishables should be refrigerated; other recyclable materials must be separated. Food must also be edible—if dressing has been poured over a salad, for example, it won’t be worth eating the next day.

To recycle, call your local recycling center to arrange a pickup. To make a donation, look online or through your phone book to find a local Food Bank or call the following organizations to make advance arrangements.

For more valuable tips about going green, read our article It’s A Nice Day for a Green Wedding.

Northern California Donation Organizations

• Daily Bread Project
  Berkeley
  510/339-9811

• Food Bank
  Alameda County
  510/834-3663

• Food Bank
  Marin County
  415/883-1302

• Food Bank
  Sacramento
  916/456-1980

• Food Bank
  San Francisco
  415/282-1900

• Food Runners
  San Francisco
  415/929-1866

• Loaves & Fishes
  Sacramento
  916/446-0874

• Oakland Pot Luck
  Oakland
  510/272-0414

• Second Harvest
  San Mateo/Santa Clara Counties
  650/610-0800

• Second Harvest
  Santa Cruz Area
  831/722-7110
  

Southern California Donation Organizations

• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
  L.A. County
  323/234-3030

• Food Bank of Santa Barbara County
  Santa Barbara
  805/967-5741

• Food Bank of Southern California
  Long Beach
  562/435-3577

• Food Share, Inc.
  Oxnard/Ventura
  805/983-7100

• Orange County Food Bank
  Garden Grove
  714/897-6670

• San Diego Food Bank
  San Diego
  866/350-3663

• Second Harvest Food Bank
  Orange County
  949/653-2900

• Second Harvest
  San Bernardino & Riverside Counties
  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
  951/359-4757

Filed under Food and Drink, Green Weddings, Planning, Wedding How-to

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