A Successful Food Drive

It’s the holiday season, which is the most common time of year for there to be food drives in the community. Is your school hosting one? Maybe just your classroom? We have some tips to help make your food drive go over better than you could have hoped.

·        Find out what food pantries actually need. Some food banks, for example, may have recently received many donations of canned vegetables and pasta, but be very low on canned protein. This way you can provide a list of items that are the most needed to your students.

·        Ask students to donate healthy food items. Food banks and food pantries are usually looking for non-perishable, nutritious foods that are low in sodium and sugar. While they will take a donation of chips or candy, it is not what people down on their luck really need.

·        Challenge your students to think like a person or family going to a food pantry. What if that person is homeless? What if their electricity is turned off? It is important to donate many types of food. A box of pasta can feed an entire family, but what about people who cannot cook? Make sure to ask for items that don’t require a stove such as peanut butter, instant oatmeal, and granola bars. Canned goods that have a pop top are great as well.

·        Consider collecting cash as well as food items. Food banks often have connections with wholesale establishments, enabling them to get food at a much cheaper price than us. Money goes a long way when it comes to food drives.

·        Set a goal. Your students will be more motivated if there’s a goal they’re supposed to reach. You may choose to reward them if they meet the goal, such as by giving a pizza party.

·        Worried about your students understanding the importance of a food drive? Work it into your lessons. Use a holiday themed story such as “A Christmas Carol” to show how important it is for us to help those in need.

·        Don’t rule out collecting other items that are needed besides food. You can collect toys for local toy drives, or toiletry items. Another great item to collect, especially for those of you living in colder climates, are items for cold weather (hats, mittens, scarves, coats, etc).

We hope these tips will help your food drive to be a huge success. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to take some time to help those who are not as fortunate as yourself.