Are you ready to donate food but unsure how to get started? The Food Rescue Partnership has developed many resources to help.

Where to Donate

There are a wide variety of non-profit hunger-relief agencies throughout the Quad Cities that will happily accept food donations.  To ensure the integrity and safety of the entire food donation process, the Food Rescue Partnerships encourages food donations to be made to Churches United of the Quad City Area or River Bend Foodbank.  These organizations will accept your food donation directly or match you with a food pantry or meal site that can readily use your donation.  Priority will be given to food pantries or meal sites closest to your neighborhood, following upon the type of food being donated and the agencies need.

ChefyBear on Wheels

Yolanda Jefferson attended culinary school right out of high school and has been professionally cooking for 35+ years. She has opened restaurants and trained in many areas of food. At age twenty, Yolanda fostered an extraordinary passion to reduce food waste from Blckpearl Catering, a full-service catering company, by donating excess food to non-profits in the Quad Cities! Yolanda knows many people struggle financially and now she leads a community project, ChefyBear on Wheels to fill belly’s by accepting food donations and preparing meals. In her 35+ year culinary career, serving the community through ChefyBear on Wheels is her proudest and favorite ongoing accomplishment. Please contact Yolanda at 309-631-1776 or  blckpearlcatering@gmail.com to make a food donation of any size.

Churches United of the Quad City Area

Churches United of the Quad City Area oversees 22 food pantries, 1 hot meal site, and Winnie’s Transitional Housing.  If you have a food donation, no matter the amount, please contact Rev. Jay McCowan at jmccowan@cuqca.org or call 563-332-5002.  We will send a volunteer from the nearest pantry or meal site to pick up your food donation (at no charge to the agency).

Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry

The Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry, located in Geneseo, Illinois, has been reinventing their food pantry one meaningful action at a time. In addition to food, they offer clothing, small household items, and also provide emergency financial assistance for their guests. They have implemented a guest advisory board, offer nutrition education from local dieticians, connect guests with community resources, and host workshops on topics as diverse as healthcare to canning produce. Please contact Michael Sigwalt at geneseopantry@gmail.com or 309-944-3165.

River Bend Food Bank

If your donation is large enough to require a fork lift or box truck, please contact Jeff DeYoung at jdeyoung@riverbendfoodbank.org or call 563-345-6490 Ext. 2040.  Retail stores should contact Gretchen Nollman at 563-345-6490 Ext. 2010. For smaller donations, or for prepared food that needs to be consumed in a timely manner, the Food Bank will likely match you up to one of their agency partners who will make the pickup(s) (at no charge to the agency).  To be connected with an agency, please contact Danielle Tisor at dtisor@riverbendfoodbank.org or 563-345-6490 Ext. 2050.