Almost everyone who has canned food paid cash or equivalent for that canned food (most banks don't accept home-canned) which means they spent money on those can

Almost everyone who has canned food paid cash or equivalent for that canned food (most banks don't accept home-canned) which means they spent money on those cans. Unless you can buy a can for less than the shelter, its always better to give them the money you would have spent on the can, period. Even if you can buy it for less (you probably can't buy food for significantly less than a food shelter considering the discounts and relationships they have with vendors) money is still probably the better choice. Why is it always better? Cans are all downside compared to cash. They take up space, they deprecate, they may not be what the shelter needs. Shelters accept food for 2 reasons. 1) Many people see giving food as more "moral" or better than money because they believe the recipient does not deserve anything more than food and getting dented cans of corn is better than nothing. 2) Some people get offended if the shelter will not accept your donation so in interests of keeping donors happy. TLDR; shelters take ragu sauce and canned creamed corn b/c that's what they can get, but it's about catering to social norms not supporting the needy.