Donate Food

Please refer to CFR’s Food Safety Guidelines and short video about foods that can and cannot be donated, safe food packaging, labeling, and storage requirements. CFR works closely with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). We also train CFR volunteers in safe food handling practices and use a tracking form so that food safety is tracked throughout the donation process. Donors and recipients sign an electronic signature in ChowMatch after each food run to verify that food was handled according to CFR Food Safety Guidelines.

CFR honors your existing relationships with food recipient organizations and you will continue to donate as before. But the advantage of joining CFR is that all food donations will be recorded, information aggregated, and you can create customized reports for promotion and claiming tax deductions. Your donation information will also be aggregated with all the other food donations to show the collective impact that Montgomery County is making toward feeding more and wasting less.

Yes, it is 10 meals or 12 lbs. We encourage donors to aggregate and freeze amounts less than that and schedule a donation when you reach this minimum.

Currently, only licensed food businesses and farmers doing business in Montgomery County can participate. If you are a licensed caterer and have surplus food that has not been served and has been kept at proper temperature, you can participate. Individuals with food to donate can contact these food recipient organizations directly:

• Bethesda Cares
• Shepherd’s Table, Silver Spring
• Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Gaithersburg
• Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, Bethesda

Call about your donation before you drop off food. 

Food donated through CFR only goes to food assistance recipient organizations, not directly to individuals. The recipient organizations then distribute donated food to their clients.

If no volunteer accepts the food run, donors are advised to chill or freeze and store the donation until the next day, and post it again as a new donation. The donor can also choose to take it to the recipient themselves. Check the “donor will deliver” box when posting the donation. If a run is scheduled, on the rare occasion when a volunteer doesn’t pick up the donation, contact the Annarose Kennedy, CFR coordindator, annarose@mannafood.org, (240) 268-2584

CFR wants each food run experience to be a good one, so we ask each participant—donors, recipients, and volunteer food runners to rate your experience, similar to a Yelp-type rating. Each participant will use their online account to rate their satisfaction and can also offer suggestions for improvement.

TIP: Donors that post regular weekly food runs only asked to rate this run the first time. You can always contact the CFR administrator if you wish to report a problem or offer comments.

Yes! The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, established in 1996, protects businesses that donate food in good faith from being held liable should someone become sick from the food. The only exception to the law is in the case of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. In 2023 new legislation, called the Food Donation Improvement Act, enhanced the provisions of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996. This new law expands liability coverage to donor businesses that distribute food directly to individuals in need (in addition to donating food to non-profit organizations who distribute to people in need).  It also protects non-profits who can now charge a reduced price for donated food to cover costs of re-packing, labor, and transportation and donors who directly distribute food to individuals.  The USDA now has authority to manage the new regulations. 

Additionally, Maryland Health-General Code Ann §21-322, states, “A person [nonprofit corporation, organization, or association], shall have the immunity from liability for any act or omission that affects the nature, age, condition, or packaging of the donated food.” Food donors must still follow safe food handling practices as described in the CFR Food Safety Guidelines.

In 1976, Congress enacted Internal Revenue Code, Section 170e3, as an incentive so that businesses can take an enhanced tax deduction for fit and wholesome food inventory donated to qualified 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that serve people experiencing poverty and hunger. These businesses can deduct the production costs of the donated food and as, an enhancement, half the difference between the cost and the full fair market value of food donated. ReFED created a Federal enhanced tax deduction policy guide. Click HERE for a simple-to-follow guide with examples of how to apply the enhanced tax deduction.

CFR will recognize all participating licensed food businesses on our website and social media.

Yes! Download our brochure to learn more. And if you’re a caterer, we have a special brochure just for you.