How It Works

MealConnect is a simple way to donate surplus food and help feed your community.

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MealConnect Interfaces
Devices
1

Connect

Go to the MealConnect website on your desktop or mobile device, or download the MealConnect app (after your food bank has created your donor login).

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Boxes
2

Share

Post your donation with a photo and some basic information, including preferred pick-up time. A wide range of donations are accepted –full truckloads, less than truckload, totes/gaylords, cases, banana boxes, dry, refrigerated and frozen product, etc.

Boxes
3

Match

Your donation will be sent to a trusted non-profit partner in your community for review & acceptance. Please note that partners' ability to pick-up your donation is based on availability.

Truck
4

Await Your Pick-Up

Your local food pantry or meal program will schedule a pick-up time and provide a volunteer to receive your donation.

To ensure the food we distribute nourishes our neighbors, we require the following food safety guidelines are met for donated food: View Guidelines (PDF)

Start Posting Your Surplus Food

FAQs

We’re not in it for the money. MealConnect is part of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. Our network is made up of thousands of non-profits that respond locally to your donation posts. These partner food banks and food pantries all adhere to industry-standard food safe handling guidelines and are audited regularly to ensure they do things the right way.

Yup! As a food donor, you’ll never have to pay to use MealConnect.

The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act does a great job protecting companies from liability when donating wholesome food to a nonprofit organization. The Feeding America network works with hundreds of thousands of donors – big and small - who understand they don’t need to worry when making donations in their community. MealConnect can help raise awareness about this and that will encourage even more food businesses to begin donating their unsold consumable product.

The Feeding America network of food banks and their partner agencies serves more than 46 million people each year. We have a responsibility to ensure that every person who comes to us for help is provided food that is safe to feed their families. That is why all our nonprofits are vetted and routinely audited for compliance to our high service standards. We are committed to improving the lives of the people we serve.

Feeding America is the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, and we are fortunate to have relationships with both national and independent food companies. Our network accommodates donations from large retailers to small family-owned restaurants. If you have food to donate, MealConnect is for you - now you don’t need a dedicated staff member to start helping people facing hunger in your community.

The Feeding America network was created more than 40 years ago, and now donors who use MealConnect can leverage the safety standards and best practices that has allowed us to feed more than 46 million Americans last year. MealConnect resources for independent food businesses include donation guidelines, a tax benefit calculator and more – not to mention the ability to conveniently partner with your local Feeding America food bank.

We designed MealConnect to make it as easy as possible for a food business to donate their extra, wholesome food product to people facing hunger – and to save money doing it. We pride ourselves on listening to our users. They are the ones who can teach us how to improve it, so just like your favorite apps, we’ll keep refining our technology to ensure it removes inconveniences associated with donating food.

Let us know what’s on your mind at info-mealconnect@feedingamerica.org
Contact
161 N Clark St Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 263-2303 info-mealconnect@feedingamerica.org
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