Food Drive Tips To Get You Started

Create a food drive planning committee

• Select a coordinator and plan your strategy to lead the drive, and appoint team captains to take charge of promotion, kick-off events and competitions.

Set a goal

• Aim high! Many organizations set a goal of 15 pounds of food per employee, a certain number of full barrels, or a certain donation level.

Get management support

• Have your company match or double employee contributions with dollars.

• Involve senior management.

Get the word out

• Display posters in high traffic areas.

• Publicize the drive in your publications/bulletins.

• Leave e-mail messages and make announcements at meetings.

• Have a Food Bank representative make a presentation.

• Distribute food collection bags, flyers and donation envelopes.

Make it fun

• Build momentum with daily updates on your progress.

• Challenge other departments or competing corporations.

• Hold a kickoff. Make the admission price a bag of food.

Sponsor a "Thank You" event

• Give prizes to the department that raises the most food.

• Add fun categories: the most enthusiastic collectors, the most beans or rice.

• Prizes could include special parking places, a certificate for time off, or other inexpensive items.

What Kind of Food Should You Collect?

The food collected in your community will be distributed in your community.

Please consider this list when purchasing food to be donated to the food bank:
Iron Rich Cereal (45% or more daily value)
100% Fruit Juice
Canned Fruit (in juice)
Dry Beans (any type)
Canned Vegetables and Tomato Products
Enriched Rice
Powdered Milk
Canned Meat and Fish
Enriched Pasta
Peanut Butter (plastic container)

Top Ten Ways to Make Your Food Drive Successful and Fun!

1. Decorate a Giving Tree with suggested food and cash donations.
2. Have Department Heads challenge each other to match a large donation.
3. Raffle or auction off exciting prizes such as prime parking spots, vacation days, or your manager's favorite tie, scarf, or hat.
4. Make a big thermometer showing progress toward your goal.
5. Create special item days such as "Macaroni Monday" and "Tuna Tuesday" or "PJ Day" and have everyone dress in pajamas and donate peanut butter and jelly.
6. Bring a group of volunteers to the food bank to sort donated food. (Be sure to call first and make arrangements.)
7. Allow winning departments to have their own "casual day" or give "dress down" tickets to people making large donations.
8. Fill a car or van with food and ask staff to purchase guesses on the number of items inside. Give the winner a prize, and donate the food and money collected.
9. Let the news media know what you are doing!
10. Have management serve breakfast to the winning department—dress them up in frilly aprons and bonnets!

How You Can Help the Food Bank Feed Hungry Families

Donate and encourage your employees to donate.

• For $1.25 we can provide a hungry family with a meal.

Encourage your employees to donate-match their gifts, or provide other incentives to them.

Host a food drive

• Participate in a food drive by having barrels at your work site, and encourage participation by awarding prizes to the individual or department that collects the most food. (See "Food Drive Tips.")

Encourage employees to volunteer

• Volunteer opportunities include special events, serving on a committee, sorting and packing food at the food banks. Call 360-221-6454 for more information.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF...

YOU DON'T HAVE SPACE FOR A FOOD DRIVE BARREL?

• Hold a matching gift challenge with employees.

• Have a bake sale to benefit the Food Bank.

• Host a car wash in your parking lot and donate the proceeds.

• Issue a challenge to your business cornpetitors on who can raise the most money.

• Sell tickets for a drawing to win a special prize, such as:

An especially convenient parking space reserved for the winner for one month

A pass for a "free" hour off work

Allowing the winner to be "boss for the day."

YOU DON'T GET MUCH FOOT TRAFFIC?

• Advertise your food drive, and encourage people to bring a can of food in to receive a discount on your product or service or receive a special gift.

• Host an open house, kick off party or reception and invite the public.

• Send a notice to your regular customers about what you are doing for the less fortunate in our community.

YOU DON'T HAVE TIME RIGHT NOW?

• We need help year around. Give us a call anytime. We are fighting hunger year ‘round.