Food Drive

[Brooksie]

I've been looking for ways to give back to our community and also get our FCCs name out there and I think I have decided on doing a food drive. Does any one have any experience doing these? I would probably try to guide it towards baby and child items (I know they take diapers and formula and baby food) but absolutely accept other items as well. Sort of a Child's Food Drive hosted by my FCC. I am trying to figure out what I can do to promote this and make it very successful. Any ideas? I know I am going to try to work with local businesses to have more drop boxes than just at my FCC (don't want strangers dropping stuff off here with the kids). Was thinking or doing a Facebook Event thing and then putting up flyers. Any one know how long I should plan to do this or what a reasonable goal would be?

[preschoolteacher]

I would first pick a specific charity or food shelf to donate to and call them to ask what items they need. Then when you advertise your food drive, you can let people know exactly where there items are going. I'd be really specific and give a short list of items to donate. I'd also put an end date on the drive. If people know they need to donate by XX date, they are more likely to get moving... if it's an open-ended thing, people don't feel a sense of urgency and are less likely to make it a priority.

Can you get a bunch of paper boxes or plastic bins and tape/staple a sign that says Helping Hands Childcare's food drive to benefit Our Town Food Shelf... (whatever your daycare name is)... and then go to local businesses/homes/whatever and use those for drop-offs... you can list the items to donate on there as well.

[butterfly]

I would first pick a specific charity or food shelf to donate to and call them to ask what items they need. Then when you advertise your food drive, you can let people know exactly where there items are going. I'd be really specific and give a short list of items to donate. I'd also put an end date on the drive. If people know they need to donate by XX date, they are more likely to get moving... if it's an open-ended thing, people don't feel a sense of urgency and are less likely to make it a priority.

Can you get a bunch of paper boxes or plastic bins and tape/staple a sign that says Helping Hands Childcare's food drive to benefit Our Town Food Shelf... (whatever your daycare name is)... and then go to local businesses/homes/whatever and use those for drop-offs... you can list the items to donate on there as well.

Great advice! I would leave the boxes with stores that sell those types of items. Win, win for them since they'd probably get the sales off the donated items.

[Blackcat31]

Each year we give back to the community at Christmas time. I'd rather teach my DCK's to give than just receive...kwim?

We've done a food drive, smoke detector/carbon dioxide detector collections, baby item collections for moms in need, mitten/hat/coat collection, book collection, blankets for homeless, and collection for animal shelters.

Oh, and we've made care packages for soldiers too.