BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This holiday season, IU Auditorium is currently hosting its annual Community Cares Donation Drive to benefit Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard now through December 19. Items can be dropped off during events or during business hours which are Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

 

Each year, the Auditorium selects a community partner to uplift as the beneficiary of an item-based donation drive, with collection bins located inside the Auditorium’s entry doors. This year, in response to worsened food insecurity in the community ahead of the holidays, IU Auditorium has selected Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard as this season’s donation drive partner.

 

Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard is a nonprofit food pantry here in Bloomington, Indiana that: “...works to increase access to healthy food in ways that cultivate dignity, agency, and community.” Their space offers residents a free-choice food pantry, community garden, kitchen with cooking and nutritional education classes available, and a tool-lending library.

 

Now through December 19, visitors to IU Auditorium are encouraged to bring shelf-stable food items and household supplies to be collected for donation. Donations may be placed in bins located inside the Auditorium’s Hall of Murals. Items that are opened, damaged, expired, or refrigerated/frozen will not be accepted.

 

Want some inspiration? Items that Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard needs include:

 

Foods/supplies that can be helpful for children:

• Formula
• Mac and cheese
• Nut butters and jelly/jam
• Cereal
• Juice
• Nonut granola bars
• Baby food
• Diapers sizes 4, 5, 6 and pullups

Foods that can be eaten without access to a kitchen or can opener:

• Poptop canned foods
• Granola bars
• Dehydrated fruits or meats
• Tortillas
• Cereal
• Instant coffee
• Protein bars
• Tuna
• Nuts
• Bottled water
• Hot hands

Household items:

• Can openers
• Laundry detergent
• Tampons/pads
• Adult diapers
• Cleaning supplies
• Toilet paper/paper towels
• Pet food, supplies, litter

Special diet food:

• Nondairy milks
• Nonwhey protein supplements
• Tofu
• Nutritional yeast
• Hemp, flax, or chia seeds
• Glutenfree bread, flours, pastas, baking mix, oats
• Rice
• Quinoa, sorghum, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, cornmeal, brown rice
• Cooking oils
• Spices
• Nutfree products
• Allergysafe product