Food Drive Packet
Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida 3760 Fowler St., Fort Myers, FL 33907
Harry Chapin Food Bank Collier County 2221 Corporation Blvd., Naples, FL 34109
Thank you for getting involved!
Congratulations and thank you for joining Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida in the fight
against hunger! With a little work and a lot of fun, we’re sure your food drive will make a difference in
the lives of children, families and seniors in our community.
Hunger is not isolated to one event, one day or season. Hunger does not discriminate by race, faith or
age; it exists throughout our community. Someone you know may be hungry; your co-worker, your
child’s classmate, your elderly parents.
At Harry Chapin Food Bank, through more than 150 nonprofit partner agencies, we provide meals to
more than 30,000 people monthly. In 2010 it was determined that 63% of client households in
Southwest Florida lack consistent access to nutritious food and adequate amounts of it, as opposed to
46% statewide and 36% nationally.
Our mission is to overcome hunger in our communities through education and by working in a
cooperative effort with affiliated agencies in the procurement and distribution of food, equitably and
without discrimination. Food drives foster a sense of teamwork by creating an opportunity to work
together toward a common, worthy goal. Harry Chapin Food Bank encourages partnerships with local
organizations, schools, businesses associations, service groups, and churches to host food drives
throughout the year. These food drives provide an opportunity to inform, encourage and involve all
participants in understanding and addressing hunger issues in the community.
Designate a Coordinator
This person will be responsible for communication with Harry Chapin Food Bank, promoting the food
drive, and coordinating the actual collection. You may want to have several people act as a committee,
but there should only be one person in contact with us.
Pick Your Dates
Holidays are typically the time when most people lend a helping hand, but food drives can be conducted
any time of the year. Hunger does not take a holiday. The perfect time for your food drive is now. Select
a start date that gives you plenty of time for planning and organization. Drives typically run from one
week to one month.
Register Your Food Drive
In this packet you will find a registration form; please complete and return to:
Fax: (239)337-1399 attention Tanya Phillips or email: [email protected]
Plan Your Collection
Where will you collect the food? What will you put it in? Harry Chapin Food Bank can supply you with
boxes or you can use your own containers or boxes. If yours is a large organization, you may want to
have several collection points with at least one container at each location. A smaller organization should
choose one large, visible collection point in a high traffic area. Remember, your collection point also
Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida 3760 Fowler St., Fort Myers, FL 33907
Harry Chapin Food Bank Collier County 2221 Corporation Blvd., Naples, FL 34109
serves as continuous publicity for your drive. Consider where food will be kept if there is overflow. Will
you have a theme?
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Theme Day- Mac & Cheese Monday, Tuesday Tuna, or have 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.
Set Your Goals
People like to have a goal. Determine how many pounds of food, or how many items you hope to
collect. Don’t be afraid to think big! When we receive your food we will weigh it and tell you how many
pounds your team has collected.
Use Our Materials
It is important to communicate the need in the community in your publicity efforts. Use our hunger
statistics by requesting our Food Drive Posters, Food Drive Signs, Information Brochures, Volunteer
Brochures, and Most Needed Donations List.
Promote Your Food Drive
Promote your food drive by hanging posters, distributing flyers and making announcements at meetings.
Put notices in your local newspaper, bulletin, or other publications. Spread the word on social media.
Put collection boxes out early and decorate containers to draw attention to them. Include your goal in
all your publicity material. Spreading the word is essential to your food drive’s success.
Collect the Food
As food donations come in, check collection areas for overflow and box items as you go. Continue
promoting your food drive throughout the collection period.
Deliver the Food
Small food pick-ups 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 warehouse in Fort
Myers, 3760 Fowler Street, is open Monday through Friday, between 8:30am and 3:30pm. Our
warehouse in Naples, at 2221 Corporation Blvd, is open Tuesday through Thursday, between 9am and
3pm. If you can’t deliver the collected food, please provide the Food Bank with a two day window of
time Monday and Friday, between 8am to 4pm, to pick-up the collection.
After a Successful Food Drive
Thank your participants and share the results! Thank you for your help and support of the Harry Chapin
Food Bank of Southwest Florida. To experience the difference your donation makes, contact Tanya
Phillips for volunteering opportunities.
Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida 3760 Fowler St., Fort Myers, FL 33907
Harry Chapin Food Bank Collier County 2221 Corporation Blvd., Naples, FL 34109
Most Needed Items
All of the following should be non-perishable items
High Protein Foods:
Meat: ham, spreads, stews, chicken
Fish: tuna, sardines, salmon
Vegetarian: nuts, seeds, peanut butter, other nut butters, beans (canned or dried)
Fruits & Vegetables:
Fruit (cups, canned, or dried)
Vegetables
100% fruit & vegetable juices
Soups
Sauces
Condiments & salad dressings
Breads & Cereal:
Muffin & bread mixes
Breakfast cereals
Oatmeal
Grits
Rice
Pasta
Whole grain cereal bars
Holiday Items:
Stuffing mixes
Cranberry sauce
Gravy (canned or boxed)
Olives & pickles
Pie crust & fillings
Macaroni & cheese (boxed)
Instant mashed potatoes (boxed)
Household Goods (please keep these items separate from food items):
Cleaning Supplies:
Detergents
Paper products
Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida 3760 Fowler St., Fort Myers, FL 33907
Harry Chapin Food Bank Collier County 2221 Corporation Blvd., Naples, FL 34109
Food Drive Registration
Organization
Contact Name
Address
City
Zip
Email
Phone
Drive Dates:
Start
End
Thank you so much for caring enough to make a difference in your community!
Please plan to drop off your food donations at either of the Harry Chapin Food Bank locations.
In Lee County at 3760 Fowler St, Fort Myers, FL 33901, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.
In Collier County at 2221 Corporation Blvd, Naples, FL 34109, Tuesday through Thursday, between 9 am-3 pm.
If you have any questions, please contact Tanya Phillips at 239.334.7007 ext. 141.
Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida 3760 Fowler St., Fort Myers, FL 33907
Harry Chapin Food Bank Collier County 2221 Corporation Blvd., Naples, FL 34109