Want to help our cause?  Why not offer 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 $2 of food when we buy in bulk or directly from distributors.

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 can purchase food at greater discounts through our relationships with food partnerships. We can convert your dollars to pounds of food easily and more effectively. This allows us to purchase the items we need the most.

PROMOTE!

1. Make some noise! Publicity is the key to a successful food drive. Spread the word to as many people as possible.
2. Distribute flyers, emails, press releases, and posts on social media. 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! Check out our Social Media Copy Template for suggestions.
3. Spread the word to families and friends.

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 list of the needed items 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 vegetables on Tuesday, “Meating the Need” (request high-protein foods like canned meats and peanut butter), Kid Friendly Friday (request specific items for children’s snacks like fruit cups, nut-free granola bars, Rice-Krispie treats), Item of the Day ( Work off of our wish list and suggest an item for each day of the week). And so on…

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

1. Call the Food Bank at 905 987 1418 or email us at claringtoneastfoodbank@gmail   to schedule a time for when you will be bringing your collected food to the Food Bank.
2. We will send you a Food Drive Registration Form.  We have a limited amount of space and can only accommodate a certain number of food drives per month.
3. Target a population that you are trying to persuade to donate. This could be the public, or a specific group such as co-workers, sports team, book club , and so on.
4. Determine what type of food you will be collecting. These will typically be nonperishable canned, bagged, and boxed goods. Refer to the Food Bank’s Wish List for the items we currently need.
5. 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.
6. 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 the weather.
7. When your food drive is complete,  call the Food Bank to confirm when you will bring the food to the Food Bank.

Holding your very own food drive to benefit the Clarington East Food Bank is as easy as 1… 2… 3… For more information, please call Susan Pascoe at (905) 987-1418, or email  at claringtoneastfoodbank@gmail.com