Before starting a food drive, please read the list of Food Items Currently Needed and call us at 301-216-2510 #4 so a HELP representative can guide you with instructions and specific needs.
A food drive that your participants will enjoy can be accomplished in 10 easy steps! Here’s how:
- Select a group the food drive will target, such as your workplace, Scouts group, church group, school club or sports team, book club, neighborhood, etc.
- Establish a time frame with beginning and ending dates
- Set a deadline for delivery to HELP a few days after the collection
- Develop a theme, slogan or focus for the food drive
- Establish a collection goal (e.g., the number of cans or pounds collected)
- Decide on what collection containers will be used (e.g., printer paper boxes are a good size)
- Decide where items will be collected and consider a busy spot that attracts lots of people
- Prepare the collection for HELP (sort by category and check cans for expiration dates)
- Call us so a HELP representative can confirm a delivery date to the Food Pantry
- Formally close the food drive by announcing the results and thanking all those involved!
How To Get Started
- Publicize the food drive with:
- Announcements, flyers, posters
- Bulletin board displays
- Banners
- E-mail messages or phone calls to members
- Presentations made to the group/organization
- Decorate the collection boxes
- Visually display the food that has been received as an encouragement to others to contribute
- Create a giant thermometer to measure progress to the goal
- Take photos of the collection area
If you have a theme for your food drive, decide what foods will be collected and follow these guidelines to ensure your success.
Ideas to make your food drive more effective, include:
- Hold a Hunger Awareness Day or Week
- Distribute decorated grocery bags that are returned filled with food
- Distribute shopping bags with attached shopping lists
- Build a food sculpture or pyramid with the canned goods that are donated
- Arrange for a tour of the HELP Food Pantry before or during the food drive
- Create competition among groups (e.g.,largest individual donation, most protein products, matching your weight in food)
- Throw a party and charge a bag of food for admission
- Hold car washes/cake sales/coffees/brunches and ask for canned goods for admission
Good Morning
Include:
- Cereal
- Tea bags
- Powdered milk
- Canned fruit
Let’s Do Lunch
Include:
- Macaroni and cheese
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Canned soup
- Canned meats (e.g., tuna)
Dinner Is Served
Include:
- Canned chicken or salmon
- Canned pork and beans
- Rice
- Beans
- Canned vegetables
- Spaghetti, pasta, spaghetti sauce
Veggie Mania
- Canned vegetables (low or no salt, if possible)
Special Needs Diet
Macaroni Mondays
- Macaroni and cheese
- Spaghetti
- Spaghetti sauce
- Pastas
Tuna Tuesdays
Provide recipients with heart-healthy fish like:
- Canned tuna
- Canned salmon
Wheaties Wednesdays
Include:
- Cereals (hot and cold)
- Dried milk
Fruity Fridays
Include healthy canned fruits like:
- Applesauce
- Peaches
- Fruit cocktail
- Pears
And Baby Makes…
A fund drive that focuses on parenting is always a hit. Include items such as:
- Disposable diapers
- Formula
- Baby food
Father’s Day / Mother’s Day
Honor someone by donating a bag of groceries in their name.
Birthday or Anniversary
Celebrate by donating a matching number or pounds of canned goods.
Holidays Throughout the Year
Use the holidays to remind folks that their neighbors need assistance!