Conducting a Food Drive
-
Last year, food drives
provided one-third of all the food distributed by the Food Bank
of Lower Fairfield County. The efforts of our local businesses,
schools, churches and clubs helped feed 85,000 individuals
(unduplicated within each agency) in
the community.
- Participating in a food drive
is one way that people can join together in small groups to have
a large impact on hunger, a devastating problem for thousands of
people in our community.
- The Food Bank provides food to
115 agencies and distribution sites serving people in need. When
your food donations arrive at our warehouse, they are inspected
and sorted by our staff and volunteers. Next, our partner
agencies come to the warehouse and �shop� for the items that
they need. Finally, they take the food back to the populations
they serve and provide them with prepared meals, groceries, or
both, depending on the type of program they run. Some of our
agencies include: Neighbor to Neighbor, Person to Person,
The Salvation Army, Manna House, New Covenant House, Shelter
for the Homeless, Norwalk Emergency Shelter.
- Financial donations collected
during your food drive are used to purchase nutritious foods
that are needed in greater quantities than those that are
donated to the Food Bank. They are also used to help cover the
costs associated with distributing the food.
- Donations are also tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
How to Run a Food Drive Are you thinking about conducting a food drive at your school? The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County would welcome the opportunity to walk you through this easy but very important process.
The Food Bank is located at 461 Glenbrook Road in Stamford. It acts as a hub collecting food from various sources ensuring its delivery to some one hundred and fifteen agencies throughout Lower Fairfield County whose clients are the people profiled below. The Food Bank feeds over twenty thousand individuals annually.
Food drives are important because they can produce and enormous supply of quality food. In 2003, we distributed 810,000 pounds of food. The food collected fed the clients of the Food Bank agencies. I am sure you are curious to know a little about these clients. One is a senior citizen who must choose between food and taking his medication. Another is a single mom who works two jobs just to pay the rent. Additionally, our community has many newly arrived immigrants who are struggling to start their American dream.
These individuals need a boost in life. You may ask, �What�s a boost and how important is one�? Let�s try an analogy. Remember when you were younger and simply couldn�t climb over a fence? No matter how hard you tried you could not get your own body weight over the fence. Then your friend took his hand s and locked his fingers together. You put your foot in his hands, he heaved his hands skyward as you hauled your body upwards. Then you were over the fence. He gave you a boost! �Boost me!� was the phrase. You didn�t need your friend to boost you forever. Soon you were climbing fences on your won. When you help the Food Bank you are giving people a life boost. A life boost is probably the most profound because it has the potential to change someone�s life for the better.
You now know about the Food Bank�s clients. Now let�s discuss food. What kind of food is collected? It shouldn�t surprise you to know that it�s the same type of food you and I eat. Some of the favorites are peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, tuna canned chili, fruit juices, jarred spaghetti sauce, breakfast cereals, rice, soups, and crackers. Use your imagination, if you like to see it on your table then chances are another person will enjoy it too!
Now you need to get the message out. You must first talk to your teacher and school administration to get their approval. Start talking to other students. Brainstorm ideas on how to tailor a food drive to your school population. An idea like charging a donation of food to a school function is a fun and productive way to meet your goal. It is nice to conduct your drive at holiday times. However, keep in mind that hunger is an every day event. A food drive anytime of the year is great. Once you have decided on an approach, prepare your flyer. Make sure you include the who (your school), the what (the purpose of the food drive), and the when (choose specific dates when the collection begins and when it ends). Lastly, make sure your flyer informs your prospective donors (the where), where to bring the food. Get your teacher�s approval on the contents of your flyer before it is distributed.
Make sure you've allowed enough time for your donors to receive your flyer and purchase their food (i.e., a flyer distributed on a Thursday for a drive to start the following Monday and commence the following Thursday gives enough notice). Once your drive is completed you may call the Food Bank @ 358-8898 and arrange for a pick-up time. Good luck and have fun!
Last Updated (Monday, 07 April 2008 18:55) Written by Administrator Thursday, 27 March 2008 11:05
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