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Summer 2007
Potluck - 25th
Anniversary
Issue
(PDF format)

Page Updated
July, 2007

Why host a food drive?

Holding a food drive is a quick and easy way to mobilize your group to show their concern for the community. Everyone has spare food in their cupboards, or would not mind purchasing an extra can or two on their regular grocery-shopping trip.

How can my donation help?

Food donors want to know their donation will make a difference. By donating even a small amount of food to the Food Bank, a gift can reach over 350 agencies who serve all kinds of human needs.

What’s involved in a food drive?

Set a date for the event. Designate a committee, youth group or department within your organization to be responsible for the food drive. Set up a plan to safely collect non-perishable food (the Food Bank can provide collection barrels with our logo on them).

Spread the word to your target audience through flyers, newsletters, emails, announcements, etc… Give them plenty of lead-time. Let the Food Bank know of your plans and make arrangements for delivery or pick up. To complete the giving experience, your organization is more than welcome to deliver the food, take a tour and help sort food in the warehouse
What items are most needed in food drives?

peanut butter
canned tuna, salmon, meat
grits, oatmeal
cereal
canned fruits, greens & vegetables

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank can provide assistance for your food drive. Call 622-1800.

Food Drive Information Form

Please use this form to contact The Chattanooga Area Food Bank about hosting a food drive and you will be contacted shortly. Or, you can contact Rebecca Smith at rsmith@chattfoodbank.org or (423) 622-1800.

Salutation:
First Name:
Last Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Home Phone Number:
Work Phone Number/Extension:
Email:
Check here if you would like to receive our quarterly newsletter, 'Potluck'.'
Additional Information you would like to provide:

Hints for a successful Food Drive

'Healthy Competition

The best way to motivate a crowd is with a little healthy competition between departments/ floors/ classes/ grades/ etc. The competition alone should be motivation; however, offering a reward to the winning teams always helps. Here are some rewards that don't cost much, if anything, and tend to motivate:

Pizza Party, feed the winning team lunch
'Lunch Is On Us' day, distribute gift certificates to a local eatery to the winning team
'Casual Dress' Work Day, the winning team gets to dress down for work
'Early Out' day, let the winning team leave at noon, just a few hours early, the day before a holiday break
Trophies, award the winning group a trophy or plaque that they can display in their work area. Present it to them at a company-wide event.

'Quick & Easy' Food Drives

With busy work schedules and your 'to do' list already a mile long, sometimes you need something quick, fast and easy to see your mission out. Here are a few ideas:

Mass Emails. Send a company-wide email out asking everyone to bring their lunch the following day and donate the money they would have spent eating lunch out. Provide a donation container at the entrance of your business, in the break room and at the receptionist desk. A few dollars per person from a company with a good handful of employees can really add up. The only work for you…an email and placing/ picking up the donation containers!

'Stuff Our Truck'. The food bank will bring a truck on-site for the morning hours of business. Ask employees and patrons to bring food in and put it directly in the truck as they go into work. The only work for you…getting the message out and calling the food bank with a date, there is no need for barrel delivery and/ or coordinating a pick up schedule.

'Just Bag It' food drives. Have participants bring in grocery bags. Make a list of grocery items needed for the Food Bank and attach the list to the bags. Send the bags home with each participant for them to distribute in their neighborhood. On the grocery list attached to the bag include a pick-up date and ask neighbors to leave their full bag by the front door for pick-up on that date. This has been a very successful way to drive for food in the past!

'Sak Paks' food drives. The Food Bank's 'Sak Pak' program provides school age children that are identified as needing food with a backpack full of non-perishable foods for the weekend. Simply make a list of what a typical pack would hold and ask each person in your organization to bring in each item on the list: 1 milk and cereal bar or granola bar, 1-package toaster pastries, 1 can pop-top Beans 'n Franks, 1 heat and serve pasta meal (canned or boxed), 1 individual fruit cup with pop-top or peel off, 1 box raisins or 1 apple, 2 packages crackers 'n cheese or crackers 'n peanut butter, 2 boxed juice drinks

'Mother's Day in May' food drive. May is the month we celebrate motherhood! Why not host a food drive for baby food, formula and diapers? We have all been affected by a motherly love in our lives…..this is an easy drive to generate involvement, by focusing on and celebrating a person with whom we can all identify.

2009 Curtain Pole Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37406
(423) 622-1800

Operating Hours

Monday through Thursday*
8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. (for shoppers)
8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. ( for vouchers)

Friday
8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. ( for shoppers)
8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. ( for vouchers)

*The Shopping Floor is closed from 12:00 -1:00 Monday through Thursday