As the first community-wide food drive since 2020 arrives this month, a common inclination may be to reach into the far corners of your cupboard and grab something to donate.

But while every donation is appreciated, be sure to check the date on that can, box or jar: Powell Valley Loaves and Fishes no longer accepts food past its “best by” date.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food Bank of the Rockies — which partners with food pantries across the region — recommend capping distribution of food to within one year of the best by date. Loaves and Fishes stores food for months at a time, so any past-its-prime donations age even more before going to someone in need.

“Since we need to be able to store it, we decided not to accept anything that is past its date,” said Vickie Blevins, who serves on the Loaves and Fishes board.

Board members did not make the policy change lightly, Blevins said.

“As a board, we had many good discussions,” she said.

On one hand, Loaves and Fishes leaders do not want any food to go to waste. Some board members also worried the change could limit donations from the community.

But on the other hand, the board wants to ensure residents in need are receiving safe, wholesome food that will be beneficial for their families, Blevins said.

At its core, Loaves and Fishes’ mission is to create a body of committed citizens working together to alleviate hunger. The board strives to honor both the recipient and the donor.

“Donations should come from the heart,” Blevins said. “If you’re going to give, give your best.”

Food recipients may tie their own worth to the donations they receive. 

“We need to ensure that the recipients feel valued,” Blevins said.

Recipients should also be confident that they’re getting wholesome food, not cast-offs.

Donors should consider if the food is edible. If it’s something you’re reluctant to eat or feed to your family, then don’t donate it to the food pantry.

Best by dates should not be confused with expiration dates, the board said in a letter about the policy changes.

“While expiration dates are about safety and must be strictly adhered to (like those on baby formulas), ‘best by dates’ are not regulated by law,” the board wrote. 

Instead, the best by date indicates when the product is still at its peak, in terms of nutrition, taste and texture.

“A lot of people think that they have to use it by that date, and they don’t,” Blevins said. “It will be safe indefinitely as long as it is stored correctly, but the nutrition is something different.”

Although a can of soup may last long past its best by date, it does begin to lose its nutritional value. That’s a concern for vulnerable residents, who can’t afford healthier food options, Blevins said.

“Along with food insecurities come health concerns and nutritional concerns — they all go hand in hand,” she said.

All of the food on the Powell pantry’s shelves is checked and sorted prior to being stored.

“This will continue to be part of our collection process,” the board said. “In a short amount of time, we can confidently say all the food items in our pantry are in compliance with USDA guidelines.”

The food pantry is striving to quickly distribute items with recently past best by dates, to comply with the one-year guideline.

Food donations with dates beyond one year will not be distributed to clients. Instead, those items may  be placed in a give-away area at the Park County Annex or thrown away, depending on the age and condition of the food.

Donors are reminded to not donate canned goods with signs of damage, such as deep dents, swelling or rust; damaged cans will be thrown away.

What do you do with food in your pantry that is in good condition and has been stored correctly, but is simply outdated?

“The answer is to use it,” Blevins said. “Rather than donating it, the best thing to do is to use it, as long as it doesn’t show signs of going bad.”

A good practice to follow in your home pantry is to use the oldest food first — so, first food in should be the first out. 

“Our hope is that food doesn’t go to waste,” Blevins said.

For Loaves and Fishes, the recent policy changes came at a time when board members could   step back and evaluate their operations: The COVID-19 pandemic paused the organization’s traditional door-to-door food drives starting in 2020.

“We had the time to say, ‘OK, what could work better? What could we do differently, to make it better for everybody?’” Blevins said.

Certain truths remain unchanged: Some residents need extra help to put food on the table, and other residents and groups are glad to donate food. Loaves and Fishes remains the critical link, as it has for 37 years.

The pantry’s leaders are grateful for the community’s support. While food drives in recent years have been smaller — rather than large door-to-door drives — residents and groups have continued to donate.

“The Loaves and Fishes Board would like to express our thanks for the countless blessings gifted to us by our Powell community,” the board wrote. “We would not exist without your frequent kindness.”

The Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive takes place on Saturday, May 13, and postal workers will collect nonperishable food items as they deliver mail that day.

The suggested donation list for Loaves and Fishes includes pasta, pancake mix, canned veggies and fruits, soups, peanut butter and canned meats (chicken, tuna and ham).