FISH Community Food Bank Guide to a Successful Food Drive Dear FISH Supporter: FISH Hunger Facts

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1 Dear FISH Supporter: Thank you for your interest in sponsoring a food drive to benefit. We know you agree with us that it s important to bring relief to the many people in our County who struggle with hunger. With partners like you, we will see the reality of a hunger free County. Together we will end hunger in Kittitas County! While this is a big goal, with community partners like you, we can do it. FISH Hunger Facts Kittitas County has a 40% poverty rate. 1 in 3 children in Ellensburg qualify for government assistance. In one 12-month period, FISH gave away 553,796 pounds of food, and enough to feed 13,248 individuals. In the same amount of time FISH volunteers contributed 11,763 hours, the equivalent of more than 5 and a half full time employees. Open Table, FISH s hot meal program, served 8,562 meals in in a 12-month period. For every $6 donated, allows FISH to provide food for one person for one month. FISH has been in operation for nearly 50 years.

2 Step 1: Register Your Food Drive Select the Date for Your Food Drive Food drives can be one specific day or over a period of time, such a week or weekend. Decide how long you d like to run your drive, and then decide what dates would work for your group. Select a Location Location is key for a successful food drive. Decide if you want to hold your food drive in one or many locations. Many people choose to use the grocery stores as the focal point for their food drives. However, you can also line a street, pick a parking lot or run your food drive from your office. Make sure to consider safety and visibility. Wherever you pick, you will need to contact the manager or owner of a business or location that isn t your own and ask their permission to run your food drive there. For instance, you will need to contact the manager of the supermarket you wish to work at to obtain their permission to be there. Complete the Registration with FISH A registration is included at the end of this guide. Please complete it and mail to: FISH, PO Box 85, Ellensburg WA Or you can fill out the form online at By registering your food drive; we can support you to make your food drive successful. Once we receive your registration, we will contact you to confirm your drive and discuss ways we can help you be successful. Step 2: Take a Tour of FISH Consider taking a tour of the FISH facilities before starting your food drive if you have not already. During the course of your food drive, you act as a FISH ambassador and collaborative partner. We want to show you how our process works, and arm you with plenty of information to make your food drive a successful and meaningful experience.

3 Step 3: Get Started! Set a Goal All successful food drives start with a goal. Set a goal for how much food you want to raise and give participants something to work toward. Or beyond! Setting a goal is a great motivation for participants and meeting the goal gives everyone a feeling of accomplishment. You can set inter-departmental goals, overall goals or daily goals so that everyone is challenged to contribute in some way. measures food in pounds, and you may wish to set your goal in pounds as well. Decide How to Collect Food Will you collect food at your office or business? Do you want to collect on the street? At grocery stores? You will need boxes and you may use your own or, depending on availability, you may use one of FISH s containers. If you need a FISH container, please be sure we receive your registration form at least two weeks prior to the food drive dates you ve chosen. We ask that you box up the food for easier handling and delivery to FISH s warehouse. We are not able to pick up food that is not boxed. Feel free to be as creative with your containers and ours as you d like. However, we ask that you do not use anything permanent on our containers. Consider Monetary Donations as well as Food Donations Financial donations can be made in the form of cash or check payable to FISH Community Food Bank and a notation in the memo section that designates your food drive. Credit card donations can be made online at kvfish.org. For every $6 donated, FISH can provide food to one person for one month. A receipt form is enclosed which can be copied to provide receipts for anyone donating cash and wishing a receipt. All monetary donations to FISH are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Arrange pick-up and/or delivery of the food collected during the food drive. At the conclusion of your food drive, either you can arrange to deliver the food collected to FISH s warehouse or you can contact FISH s offices to arrange to have your donations picked up. Pick-up arrangements must be confirmed at the time of registration. If your food drive goal is less that 500 pounds, we ask that you deliver to FISH s warehouse.

4 If your food drive lasts more than a weekend or a week, we can arrange multiple pick ups of food. Again, these must be arranged at the time of registration Once the food is received, our warehouse will weigh it and we will notify you of the total poundage you collected with a donation receipt via . Step 4: Make it Fun and make it Successful! Plan Ahead! Food drives can involve a lot of coordination. Get others involved with your drive, such as members of your group/organization, family members, friends, etc. Turn in your completed registration form as soon as possible, so we are better able to honor your requests. Create a theme around your food drive. Get creative around your food drive and give each day or week a theme. For example, one day may be child-friendly donations (see list included in guide) or Macaroni Monday, Tuna Tuesday, Wheaties Wednesday, etc. Or make every bean count day focusing on dry or canned beans. You get the idea Have fun with it and motivate people by giving them suggestions for donations. FISH often has some sort of fund drive in progress. Check with us to see what theme you may be able to coordinate to our current fund drive. Promote your food drive. Place posters or flyers at your office or various community locations, including community bulletin boards, the community calendar in the Daily Record or announce it at meetings or other gatherings. A sample flyer is included at the end of this guide. When your registration is received, we will be sure to include your food drive on our social media. Encourage a friendly competition. A little healthy competition never hurt a food drive! Give your food drive an edge by encouraging competition among participants. For example, if you operate an insurance company, challenge another insurance company to match or beat you goal.

5 A Final Word Thank you. Thanks to you and your organization for undertaking this support of FISH Community Food Bank. We thank you and will continue to thank you throughout your collaboration with us. We want to help you to enjoy it and we want to help you in any way we can. Please be sure to thank everyone who is involved in this work as often as you can.

6 Child Friendly Wish List Single packs of fruit and applesauce Granola bars Instant oatmeal packets Dried fruit Peanut butter Baby food Formula Diapers FISH Wish List please get pop-top lids where possible Canned fruit Dried rice and beans Chili and ravioli Soups Canned veggies particularly tomatoes, corn, carrots and peas Canned chicken and pork (spam) Boxed side dishes mashed potatoes, rice in boxes, etc. Pasta sauce Toilet Paper Also: onions and potatoes

7 Food Drive Registration Form Please complete this form and submit to Name of Organization/Business: Mailing Address: Type of Organizaton: Dates of Food Drive: Contact Person for Food Drive: Phone: Alternate Contact: Phone: Do you require the use of the FISH logo? If yes, we will need to approve the uasge of our name and logo on any marketing materials for your drive. Please send logo requests and marketing materials for approval to Would you like your food drive promoted through our social media outlets? If so, please contact to arrange for this promotion. Page 1 of 3

8 Location Information Please provide as much information as possible. If you are coordinating for more than three locations, please contact FISH directly at Address: Hours of Operation: Contact Person on Site: Phone Number: 2. Address: Hours of Operation: Contact Person on Site: Phone Number: 3. Address: Hours of Operation: Contact Person on Site: Phone Number: Page 2 of 3

9 Delivery and Pick-Up Container Delivery Will you require a container? If yes, how many? We ask that you consider picking up your containers if possible. If you choose to do so, please contact John Poynar at john@kvfish.org. Containers can be delivered pending availablity, which will be determined upon receipt and review of your registration form. Deliveries are made Monday-Friday. Donation Delivery and Pick-Up Will you deliver your donations to FISH? We ask that you consider delivering your donations if possible. Deliveries can be made Monday through Thursday 9-4 and Friday If you need donations picked up, we require at least 48 hours notice. We will let you know when your donations will be picked up upon receipt and review of your food drive registation form. Pick-ups are made Monday through Friday. If your pick-up is at a loading dock, please provide specific instructions as well as the name and phone number of the dock manager. Pickup location notes: How many pounds of food do you plan to raise? Keep in mind that one can equals a pound. If your goal is less than 500 pounds, we kindly ask you to consider delivering your donations. When you have completed this form, please to Elise Warren at elise@kvfish.org. Best of luck with your food drive! Page 3 of 3

10 How can you help feed Kittitas County's hungry? Donate Food! With support like yours FISH was able to distribute 260,000 pounds of food in Food drives keep our shelves stocked, helping to feed 13,000 hungry Kittitas County residents every month. Donate to the FISH Food Drive! Please bring nonperishable food items for collection from to Food Drive collections boxes are located at Please see food drive coordinator for more information: Donations will be picked up/delivered to FISH on: PO Box 85, Ellensburg WA Follow us on Facebook!