Donate Food

The best way to support our work is to make a monetary donation, start a fundraiser or volunteer. However, we know some people prefer the option to make a tangible donation of food items to Second Harvest, and we deeply appreciate your generosity. We accept walk-in food donations only. If you have unopened, unexpired nonperishable items to donate, we will accept them at three of our warehouses (Bing Center in San Carlos, Cypress Center in North San Jose and Curtner Center in South San Jose) on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please no glass containers.

We are happy to assist you with starting a fundraiser or connect you to volunteer opportunities.

We accept walk-in donations of unopened, unexpired nonperishable items. Please, no glass containers or prepared food. We do not accept donations of produce.

Our most-needed food items are:
– Canned tuna, chicken or salmon
– Peanut butter
– Meals in a can (soup, stew chili)
– Low-sodium canned vegetables
– Canned fruit in its own juice or water
– Olive or canola oil
– Spices (cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, salt-free spice blends)
– Canned foods with pop top lids
– Low-sugar whole grain cereals
– Healthy snacks (granola bars, nuts, dried fruit)
– Rice and dry beans

We also accept donations of other items that can benefit our clients, including:
– Toiletries (all new and sealed), including:
– Toothpaste
– Toothbrushes in original package
– Soap and shampoo
– Feminine hygiene products
– Baby formula (cannot be expired and ideally with a minimum of 3 months of use remaining)
– Diapers
– Paper towels
– Toilet paper
– Reusable tote bags
– Laundry detergent

If you have additional questions about food donations, please contact our Food Sourcing team at 408-266-8866, ext. 102.

We have ended our canned food drive program. After a thorough analysis, we concluded the cost and labor required to sustain the program was too expensive for the food bank to manage. The majority of the food we source is donated by growers, retailers and manufacturers, and the rest we are able to acquire through bulk purchasing at prices far below retail. By sourcing large quantities of food at a time, we can control the variety and quality of items we get, process them more quickly and efficiently, and ensure our clients get a consistent mix of nutritious food.

The best way to support our work is to make a monetary donation, start a fundraiser or volunteer. We are happy to assist you in launching a virtual food drive or connect you to volunteer opportunities.

We have ended our canned food drive program and are no longer collecting food in the community. After a thorough analysis, we concluded the cost and labor required to sustain the program is more expensive for the food bank to manage than acquiring the food ourselves.

We accept walk-in food donations of unopened, unexpired nonperishable items at three of our warehouses (Bing Center in San Carlos, Cypress Center in North San Jose and Curtner Center in South San Jose) on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please no glass containers.

If you have additional questions about food donations, please contact our Food Sourcing team at 408-266-8866, ext. 102.

• We are required to inspect backyard produce before accepting it to ensure there are no leaves or branches or any damage. Given the operational changes we have made to be able to meet the increased need in our community, our inventory, warehouse and front office teams do not have the staff or bandwidth to support this process.
• Backyard produce is perishable, which requires a faster turnaround and higher potential for waste. Having to quickly distribute these items is difficult, and it can interrupt current processes that place a burden on our staff.
• We are still accepting gleaned produce from Village Harvest.

The best way to support our work is to make a monetary donation, start a fundraiser or volunteer. With monetary donations, we are able to purchase food at bulk prices so dollars go further. For instance, purchasing a 10-pound turkey at a local grocery store costs approximately $15 and will help provide one family with protein for a few meals. That same $15 donated to Second Harvest would help provide enough food for 30 meals.We will accept walk-in frozen turkey donations this holiday season. Please note we cannot accept fresh/non-frozen turkeys due to safety and handling concerns. You can drop off your donation of frozen turkeys on weekdays at:

• Bing Center in San Carlos from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1pm – 4:30 p.m.
• Cypress Center in North San Jose from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Curtner Center in South San Jose weekdays from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Please note that we are not accepting food at our docks, as those are reserved for large-scale deliveries.