How to Create a Food Drive
All across the world, and even right in our own cities, people go to bed hungry every night because they cannot afford food to eat. A food drive is a charitable event that will always yield helpful results. There is no shortage of food bank organizations needing supplies, so you can plan and execute a food drive to fight hunger and do a positive deed to help the needy.
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Instructions
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How to Create a Food Drive
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Recruit a committee to help organize a food drive. Place people in charge of different aspects of the drive such as volunteer recruitment, collection, promotion, decorations and food. The committee should be put together about six weeks in advance of the drive.
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Set a date and location for the food drive. Make it a day (or days) that will give the most people an opportunity to participate. Weekend all-day events will likely draw more donors than noon until 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
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Contact a nearby food bank or the cause you wish to support and obtain a wish list of the types of foods that are needed. Also arrange the date and methods for pickup or delivery of the food you collect and inquire about proper food-collection bins.
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Design a one-page informational flier describing the time, place and purpose of the food drive and distribute it to local businesses, churches, clubs, schools and the local extension agent. Tell them how the organizations can get involved by volunteering and helping promote the event.
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Check with the food bank again one week before the event to make sure they are still in need of the donations and confirm the dates the food will be delivered.
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Schedule a meeting for all volunteers to explain everyone's role and to pass out promotional fliers. Ask the volunteer coordinator to explain the methods for promoting the event over the coming days before the event. The fliers should be distributed to as many places as possible at least two days before the event. Include display fliers at supermarkets, churches, libraries, schools and any place where lots of people pass through.
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Set up registration and information tables at the site of the drive the day before. Set up a collection area with your collection bins and divide it up by food group.
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Put up a banner advertising the food drive to let passers-by know what is going on.
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Welcome your visitors early on the day of the event, and assign everyone to their places. Take this time to explain how you have set up the facility. Greet the donors at the entrance once the drive begins, and instruct them on where to go and what to do.
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Ask volunteers to help clean up at the end of the day's events or help with food delivery if necessary. Thank all the volunteers at the end of the day for helping out.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a theme or holiday tie-in to make your event noticeable. Food drives around Thanksgiving, for example, are a good idea.
Supplement your main food drive by asking other organizations to offer discounts or free admission to events to everyone who donates a can of food.
