How to Organize a Food Drive

HOW TO ORGANIZE A FOOD DRIVE

Want to help our cause? Then schedule a Virtual (online) food drive or fund drive. The Food Bank appreciates the amazing community members who coordinate Virtual Food Drives at:

work sites
schools
churches and temples
service clubs
professional organizations

Remember: The Food Bank can turn your donated $1 into $10 of food.

Plan a Food "Fund" Drive - the best choice and the most helpful!
Looking for an easy and efficient way to conduct a Food Drive? Plan a "Virtual (on-line) Fund Drive". Let us multiply your donation by shopping for you and your group. We are able to purchase the value of $10 of food for only $1 through our relationships with food partnerships and Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger awareness organization. We can convert your dollars to pounds of food easily and more effectively.

PROMOTE!

Make some noise! Publicity is the key to a successful food drive. Spread the word to as many people as possible.
Distribute fliers, emails, press releases, and get airtime on radio and TV if possible. People like to be informed about ways they can help. When they find out how easy it is to donate and what an impact it will make, they jump at the chance to participate!
Tell your friends, neighbors, and co-workers!

Creative Ideas For A Successful Food Drive
Create a competition between departments or classrooms to see who raises the most. Give the winning team an incentive such as a pizza party, casual dress day, gift certificates donated by local businesses and so on...

Encourage teams to choose a mascot, motto, team name or cheers. The sillier, the better! Assign specific foods from the needed items list to each team. Give a special prize to the group that donates a well-balanced collection of foods.

Designate theme days. Fill a playpen with infant formula on Monday. Plant a "garden" in the lobby with canned vegetable on Tuesday. And so on...

Let your staff or students wear casual dress if they meet their food drive goals.

Need help organizing your food drive?
(Sorry, with such a small staff, we can not deliver or pick-up, please consider a Virtual Drive)

Call the Food Bank to schedule a time to come to the Food Bank to pick-up your donation boxes and with the date you will be bringing your collected food to the Food Bank.
We will send you a Food Drive Registration Form or click on link. We have a limited number of box for food collections.
Target a population that you are trying to persuade to donate. This could be the general public, or a specific group such as co-workers, Sunday School class , and so on.
Determine what type of food you will be collecting. This will typically be nonperishable canned, bagged, and boxed goods. Refer to the Food Bank's top ten needed food drive products.
Choose the dates of your drive. For non-specific events, we suggest holding it for three to five days, so people have a longer period in which to bring their items. No matter what length of time you choose, plan on getting items in after your deadline. You should also plan on the actual deadline being a few days after the deadline that you publicize.
Coordinate drop-off location(s). Make sure the drop-off point is easily accessible. Announce its presence by putting up "FOOD DRIVE DROP OFF POINT" signs on nearby doors, windows, and walls. Place the collection boxes where people can see them, but where they will not obstruct foot/vehicular traffic, and so that they are relatively protected by weather.
When you food driver is complete, Call the Food Bank to schedule a date and time you will bring the the food to the Food Bank.

Holding your very own food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana is as easy as 1... 2... 3... For more information please call Gene Haynes at: (318) 675-2400 ext 115, or by email at ghaynes@foodbanknla.org.

We Serve The Following Parishes:
CADDO • BOSSIER • WEBSTER • CLAIBORNE • BIENVILLE • RED RIVER • DESOTO