Organize a Food Drive

Organizing a food drive with your family, kids school or community can be very rewarding volunteer activity.  Click here to see if there are any food drives happening now in Western Massachusetts. If you want to organize a new food drive, see below!

To make your food drive a success, follow these handy tips.  For more information or to arrange a drop-off time in Western Massacusetts, call The Food Bank at 413-247-9738.  If you live outside of Western Massachusetts, call the Food Bank in your area.

1. Create a theme for your food drive.
   Run a food drive in connection with a special event or holiday celebration.
2. Set a date for your food drive.
   A two-week food drive is usually about right. Shorter food drives need to be very well publicized to be effective.
3. Publicize, publicize, publicize!
   Posters, flyers, e-mails, newsletter articles, payroll inserts, and public service announcements are all effective ways to let people know about your food drive. It helps to provide people with a contact person within the organization who can answer questions. The Food Bank can also send a speaker to your organization to talk about the issue of hunger and what we all can do about it.
4. Choose a method for collecting food.
   Please keep collection containers to a reasonable size.  Remember that even a small box will become quite heavy when filled with canned food.  Large boxes and bins are very hard to move once they’re filled with food.  Please ask food donors to avoid glass containers if at all possible.
5. Double the value of your donation by delivering it directly to The Food Bank or a local food pantry! If you let us know when you’re dropping off your food, you can also arrange a tour of the warehouse. If you cannot deliver food to The Food Bank, we will refer you to one of our partner programs, which might be closer to you.  If a pick-up by The Food Bank is necessary, arrangements must be made well in advance.
6. Thank everyone in your organization for their participation.
7. If your organization’s newsletter or local paper publishes anything regarding your food drive, please send us a copy for our records. Thank you!

Current list of most-needed items:

• Peanut butter and jelly
• Rice and canned soup or stew
• Spaghetti and canned spaghetti sauce
• Canned pasta meals
• Tuna
• Low-sugar cereals
• Canned beans