Thank you for joining Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida in our fight to end hunger!
Food and fund drives create an opportunity to work together toward a common worthy goal. Food drives can inform, encourage and involve all participants in understanding and addressing hunger issues in the community.
- Register your food and fund drive.
- Set your goals. It helps to have a specific goal for your food and fund drive. This gives everyone something to work toward and a benchmark for success. The goal can be based on the amount raised the last time, or you can set a goal based on pounds collected.
- Create a theme for your food and fund drive. See the attached list of fun and creative ways to attract donors.
- Promote, promote, promote your food and fund drive. Share information throughout your organization and community. Make posters, flyers and signs to promote your drive or use the attached “fill-in-the-blank” poster. Post information about your drive on your website, on Facebook and in all of your emails.
- Set up a collection location. Collection sites should be visible and easy to find. Collect donated food and grocery items at central locations like break rooms, common meeting rooms and reception areas. Assign one or two individuals to be responsible for collecting financial contributions to the food bank. Checks should be made payable to Harry Chapin Food Bank. They can also make a gift on our website.
- Take photos of the food collected and of the people who helped make your food and fund drive a success.
- Deliver the food and funds. Small food collections are cost-prohibitive; please drop off your food if it is equal to or less than that which would fit in the back of a pick-up truck. We have two convenient locations: Our Fort Myers Distribution Center, 3760 Fowler St., accepts food drive items Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.; our Collier County Center in Naples, 3940 Prospect Ave., #101, accepts food drive items by appointment only.
Have Fun with your Food Drive!
Theme Day: Consider a theme for your food drive: Mac & Cheese Monday, Tuesday Tuna or a day to bring peanut butter and jelly or complete meals in a box.
Competition: Have a competition between departments and award the winner with a special prize.
Casual Dress Day: Allow staff to wear casual clothing one day in exchange for a donation.
Most Wanted Items: Distribute or post the Most Wanted Items list and ask everyone to donate just those items.
Fill the Bag: Provide employees with an empty paper sack and ask that the bags be returned full of non-perishable food items.
Host a Raffle: Allow each item donated to act as an entry. Offer special prizes like gift cards or movie tickets. For office drives, prizes could include vacation time or free lunch.
Thank you, Hunger Fighter!
On behalf of the quarter of a million people who benefit each month from your generosity, thank you for supporting Harry Chapin Food Bank. Because of you, our region’s children, seniors and families who are food insecure receive healthy, nutritious food when they most need it. Again, thank you for making a difference!
Most Needed Items
All of the following should be non-perishable items:
For more information on hosting a food and fund drive, call (239) 334-7007 or email fooddrive@harrychapinfoodbank.org.