The Rise Up and Build team would like to invite you to join us in conducting a neighborhood food drive in your area. We’ll provide instructions and funding, if needed. Your congregation supplies the motivation, generosity of spirit, and manpower!
WHY HAVE A FOOD DRIVE?
A food drive can help us connect with the local community and allow the community to become aware of us, while providing practical support to people in need.
Jesus told us, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). For many families in our own communities, putting food on the table is a daily challenge. We have an opportunity to answer our Lord’s call by meeting a basic human need with compassion and love. Moreover, we have an avenue to share with our neighbors food that never perishes, but leads to eternal life (John 6:27).
A food drive is a great opportunity to build relationships, strengthen our communities, and show people that they are seen, valued, and loved. It gives every person, young and old, the opportunity to serve. Some can donate food; others can volunteer their time sorting, packing, or collecting supplies.
WHY INVOLVE NEIGHBORS IN THE COLLECTION PROCESS?
There are many ways to conduct a food drive. The model we recommend for this initiative was chosen because it involves inreach and outreach on multiple levels:
Members, children, and friends of your congregation are involved in planning and implementation
Neighbors are involved in providing items, which they can leave on their porch in the bags we provide
Community members in need are the recipients
LOGISTICS
Here are the recommended steps:
Identify Donation Needs: Check your local food bank’s website to identify recommended and prohibited items.
Gather Supplies: Collect paper bags by asking local food markets for donations, inviting members to bring bags on Sundays, or purchasing bags in bulk online. If your meeting would benefit from financial assistance for ordering bags, please see Appendix G for details.
Prepare Flyers: Print flyers (see the template in Appendix D) that include key details, including suggested items and when the items will be collected. These can be stapled to the paper bags that will be distributed.
Plan the Distribution Event: Mark out a route on a map and make teams, involving as many people as possible. Teams will be needed for dropping off bags to neighbors, picking up bags, and taking bags to their final destination.
Distribute Bags: Distribute bags with flyers to the neighborhood.
Collect Donations: About a week later, pick up the bags of donated items, and drop them off at the identified food bank.
Please see the appendices below for additional information.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: COMMON NEEDED ITEMS
Need will vary by location. Commonly requested items include peanut butter, canned goods, pasta, and rice. It is recommended that canned goods have a pop top, rather than requiring a can opener. Remember that some food banks also accept toiletries, such as shampoo, soap, and feminine hygiene items. Feeding America provides more information on what to donate and what to avoid.
APPENDIX B: CREATING CONNECTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS
The following suggestions are provided for those who would like to create an ongoing relationship with the neighbors invited to participate:
Recognize Donations: Leave thank-you cards or flyers for community members who donated, and include the name and address of your congregation.
Invite Neighbors to Visit: Plan a special open house event and invite neighbors as a follow-up event.
APPENDIX C: HELPFUL TIPS
Safety: Teams should ensure they are highly visible while walking in the community. Consider wearing bright colors. If teams are walking a long distance, it’s suggested that everyone carry water and a cell phone.
Legality: Know your local laws or guidelines before leaving bags. For instance, in the US it is a federal crime for anything to be left in or on mailboxes. Teams may choose to ring doorbells or not, depending on the area and their particular confidence level.
APPENDIX D: EXAMPLE FLYER
The following text can be used directly or edited as your group sees fit:
We believe providing help to those in need is one of the best ways we can show God’s love to others. Whatever your background or belief system, we invite you to partner with us in doing good for those around us.
Jesus told us, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). We believe that acts of kindness toward others are acts of service to God and Jesus. Every item helps provide hope and practical support to individuals and families facing difficult times.
We warmly invite you to join us by donating non-perishable food items to our church food drive. Thank you for partnering with us. May God bless you for your willingness to share with others.
We would also be delighted to welcome you to join us for one of our Bible studies or Sunday services. Whether you have studied the Bible for many years or are just beginning to explore its message, you are warmly invited to come, ask questions, and discover the hope of God’s coming Kingdom. We look forward to meeting you. [Insert local ecclesial info]
APPENDIX E: WHERE TO GET BAGS
United States
Paper bags are still widely available for free in grocery stores in the US. Ask your congregation to bring clean paper bags they may have at home or can acquire from their local stores. Members may also reach out to local organizations (such as grocery stores or food bank affiliates) as they often have surplus packaging or resources for neighborhood outreach drives.
You may be able to order standardized bags in bulk from suppliers like Amazon.
Store Supply Warehouse offers bulk kraft bags.
Canada
Bargains Group specializes in discounted bulk bags for nonprofits across the country.
A1 Cash and Carry offers sturdy, eco-friendly kraft bags.
Bombay Bags and St. Boniface Bag Company supply durable, customized carry-out bags for institutional distribution.
APPENDIX F: A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
The Richmond Chapel meeting in Richmond, Virginia, ran a food drive a few years ago, using the suggested model. We found it to be a rewarding experience. A few of us gathered together one Saturday and distributed bags down a few streets near our building. We didn’t knock on doors, but hung bags on doorknobs or set them on porches. We stapled a sheet of paper to the bags, with information on where to find our building, needed items, and a pick-up date. We also told neighbors they could bring the items to our building the following Sunday if they would rather.
We went back the next Saturday and picked up bags that neighbors had filled and left out for us. The response was encouraging! Our neighbors took advantage of the opportunity to help the needy in a low-effort way. Here are a few pictures of the helpers and one trunk full of the results!
APPENDIX G: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST
WCF and Rise Up and Build will provide up to $100 for any Christadelphian congregation who finds cost to be a barrier to running this initiative. This money can be spent on paper bags, printing flyers, transportation, or buying food items directly. Please contact the Rise Up and Build team at riseupandbuild@wcfoundation.org to request assistance.
