DIY Ingredient Packages for the Needy

Post on: October 7, 2022

Best practices for DIY Ingredient Packages:

The perfect hands on group or event based giving where someone is looking to have a fun activity and donate product, are DIY Ingredient Packages. It does not mean that packages need to have precisely measured out ingredients for the recipe. They are packages that include unopened grocery ingredients, themed around a recipe while keeping in mind that recipients might have other uses for the ingredients. The DIY packages are just a fun way to present a group of ingredients that can be used to make a recipe. 

One can decide on any recipe they wish to create the packages around, as long as the recipe mainly requires shelf stable ingredients. The packages should only include shelf stable ingredients in its original packaging and the packages should contain enough of each ingredient to make the recipe. Try to include a printed recipe with the packages. For example, if you are putting together a challah package make sure it has enough flour for the shiur challah (5 lbs of flour as per OU Kosher). All ingredients must have a kosher certification symbol. An average DIY package should be worth $8 – $15 per package. Sometimes if the occasion is right, it could work even with $3 (see what Ramaz Highschool did for the high holidays). 

In order for Masbia to include these packages in a distribution, we would need at least 200, and preferably 1,000 of these units. Anything less than 200 will make it very hard to distribute in an equitable way where people don’t feel like the person next to them got something they wanted and we ran out of it.

Due to the quantity of packages needed, there are many things to consider before deciding to go ahead with this. Packages should not include products in glass; the bags should be very sturdy; the packages need to be stackable (you can put them in boxes, but that is an added element); you need to be able to deliver the packages yourself to a Masbia facility.

In order to mitigate these problems, we also offer an easier and more economical way of doing such a food drive. You can buy the ingredients in bulk and have them delivered to Masbia, and come with your group to assemble them in Masbia. Or, you can donate the money to Masbia and receive a tax deductible receipt and we will purchase the ingredients for you. We will then arrange for an assembling day.

Masbia has had numerous challah ingredient kit packing events where volunteers packed kits that contained 5lb. high gluten flour, a small bottle of oil, a small pack of sugar, salt, yeast, 2 polybags to reinforce the flour and sugar, and a shopping bag to put all the ingredients in. The kits were then packed into milk crates, with two kits per crate. Read more about it here.

Recipe Example for DIY Ingredient Packages:

Challah: If you are following The New York Times recipe, we would suggest to omit the eggs. Your DIY Ingredient Package will contain: 5lb. pack of flour, 1 pack of sugar, 1 pack of salt, 1 bottle of oil (plastic), 1 pack of dry yeast, 1 pack of sesame/poppy seeds.

Hamentashen: If you are following Joy of Kosher’s recipe, we would suggest to omit the eggs and margarine. If you want to include the orange, make sure it is shelf stable. Your DIY Ingredient Package will contain: 1 pack of flour, 1 pack of sugar, 1 bottle of vanilla (plastic), 1 pack of baking powder, 1 pack of salt

More Event Options:

Bat and Bar Mitzvah Tools

Single Item Food Drives

Wholesale Food Drives

Bake Sale