the pickup is free
For businesses
Share your extra food.
Provide quality food to struggling families and individuals by donating your surplus. High-demand items like fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and protein are always needed. No donation is too small.
How it works
It’s that simple.
We work with your business to make donating food easy and rewarding. With just a simple message to our team, we connect you to nonprofit recipients by sending our volunteers to rescue and deliver the food.
- 1 Contact usIf you are ready to donate food now, fill out our donation intake form, and we will get back to you in one to two business days.
- 2 We recover the foodAfter a brief consultation to discuss donation standards, we will schedule a free pick-up. Your food is now helping fight food insecurity in South Lake Tahoe instead of being left to rot in a landfill.
Interested in donating food but not quite ready to do so immediately? Fill out our contact form and we will reach out to you shortly. Or call or text food donation Dispatch at 530-539-1719.
What we accept
Good food, packed safe.
We take safe, consumable, and unused foods! Fresh fruit, greens, vegetables, meats, dairy, shelf-stable products, baked goods, desserts, prepared foods, frozen foods, snacks, beverages, bottled water, and vegan products. Short-dated items (dependent on the item), items out of code, trucking/carrier rejections, products that experienced damage during transit, prepared foods labeled with production date, bulk items (dependent on the item), and overages/excess items are all acceptable as well!
Only donate allowable food: only food that has not been served to the public.
- Whole fruits and vegetablesIf possible, produce should be kept in its original packaging or put into containers that are easy to carry out (i.e. banana boxes or other cardboard packaging).
- Cut fruits and vegetablesCut produce should be labeled with the date it was cut or a “Use by Date”, and packaged in food-safe containers or packaging.
- Bakery itemsBakery items may be packaged wrapped or unwrapped as long as they are packaged in a safe container.
- Prepared itemsPrepared foods may be packaged in individual packaging such as to-go containers or disposable trays with lids. All prepared items should be date marked with the date that the food was prepared per ServSafe Guidelines, and marked with common allergens.
What we can’t take
- Alcoholic beverages
- Non-food items
- Recalled items
- Any product with signs of pest activity or infestation (i.e., rodents & insects)
- Cross-contaminated items (including biological, physical, and chemical contaminations)
- Items that have been contaminated through cross-contact of allergens, and therefore, the allergen is not declared on the packaging
- Unsealed or open packaging
- Items not held at proper temperatures
- Items not cooled down properly
- Any other food that is not safe to be consumed by humans (food for trash, compost, etc.)
We follow El Dorado Department of Health food storage and preparation guidelines and ask donors to inspect food prior to donation to ensure proper food safety.
Our impact so far
Your donation is key to ending food waste.
We ensure surplus food from donors gets where it needs to go, and most rescues are claimed within minutes.
21 + food donors
15 + nonprofit partners
55 + volunteer drivers
1,100 + food rescues
Some of our food donors
- Barton Health
- Edgewood
- Holiday Market
- South of North Brewing
- Starbucks
- Tahoe Bagel
Questions, answered.
Who can donate surplus food?
Donors range from grocery stores, restaurants, caterers, food distributors, schools and other nonprofits. The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, passed in 1996, protects everyone in the food donation cycle, except in cases of gross negligence.
Can individuals donate surplus food?
No, we only accept surplus food donations from entities with commercial operations.
Is Feed Tahoe a food bank?
No, Feed Tahoe is not a food bank. However, many of the items that we obtain are provided to local food banks, food pantries, shelters, churches, and others!
Is there a fee to pick up food?
No, we don’t charge any fees to food donors or recipient agencies. We also require our nonprofit partners to offer food for free to their participants.
Does Feed Tahoe pick up food donations?
Yes! We can currently pick up food donations that are small-scale and can fit into the back of a personal vehicle, truck, or van. We currently cannot accept donations requiring a commercial vehicle.
When does Feed Tahoe pick up food donations?
We accept donations from 8am to 3:30pm Monday–Friday. We can coordinate weekend pickups by appointment only. Please contact our team to learn more.
Is there a location where I can drop off food to be distributed?
No, we currently do not have a drop-off location. Please contact our team to schedule food donation pickups instead.
Food donor spotlight
Tell us your story.
We are proud to spotlight our generous food donors and share their stories with the community. Each feature recognizes your contributions and encourages others to support Feed Tahoe’s mission. Your story helps illustrate the collective impact of fighting food insecurity together.
Thank you!
Your story helps shine a light on the impact we can make together.
Got extra food?