Food drives are a great way to involve your office, school, club, or congregation in the fight to end hunger. Ask friends and family to celebrate your next birthday, anniversary, or other milestones by donating.
Whether you host a traditional food drive to collect non-perishable goods or hold a virtual food drive to raise funds, you can make a big difference. In fact, donations go further with a virtual drive! By utilizing the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s wholesale purchasing power and eliminating barrel delivery and pick-up costs, a virtual food drive multiplies your giving.
Below are some fun and creative ways to safely host Food & Fund Drives.
Ding-Dong Donate
Scare Away Hunger this October and help collect food donations for our our neighbors facing hunger.
Print out flyers for your neighborhood.
Go door to door dropping bags with supplied flyers at your neighbors’ doorsteps. (The bag will have instructions letting people know to fill it with non-perishable foods for the Redwood Empire Food Bank.)
Neighbors will place their filled bag outside their front door. (We suggest giving them at least 24 hours to fill the bag.)
Collect the filled bags and bring them to the Redwood Empire Food Bank at 3990 Brickway Blvd. in Santa Rosa.
Host a Donation Station
- Encourage people to collect funds or fill a couple of bags with non-perishable food.
- Ask them to bring donations to the front of “Your Business”.
- Set up an area where people can drive-through to drop off their donations.
Host a Virtual Food Drive
- Click here and select the “Create my Own Fundraising Page” to create your own virtual food drive.
- Set a goal, write a little bit about yourself and your efforts.
- Share your link to your friends, family, and more!
Host a Barrel
- Host a barrel, temporarily or year-round. Come to our location at 3990 Brickway Blvd. in Santa Rosa to pick up a barrel or have one dropped off at your location of choice. When your barrel is nearly full, call us at 707-523-7900 to schedule a pickup. Anyone can host a barrel, from businesses to schools to apartment complexes. Or,
- Become a Neighborhood Ambassador through our Sonoma County Neighborhood Food Network, motivating your neighbors to give food regularly.
For tips on hosting a successful food drive, check out our toolkit!
Always thinking about the kids
“We want to thank you for always thinking about the kids during the summer. We got let go from work during this time as we are seasonal workers. You don’t know how much I would feel like I failed my children if you were not here. We especially appreciate how we can pick up the week’s worth of food on one day. Gas is a luxury to us and we don’t have enough to come every day. You were all sent from God for the community, thank you all so much. God bless.”
—Parent at a summer feeding site in Santa Rosa, CA
