Interested in hosting a food drive? We can help!

Organizing a food drive is a great way to bring your community or workplace together to help provide weekend food for kids who might otherwise go hungry. On this page, you’ll find useful tips on what kinds of food items to collect (and what not to collect) and tools to help make your food drive a success.

Before you get started, use the program finder below to locate a Blessings in a Backpack program near you. Reach out to a local volunteer to determine which food items are needed and how to deliver them to the program. You can also ask if they have an Amazon Wish List that you can help fulfill!

Can’t find a program near you?

Simply fill out the form below, and a dedicated staff member will contact you to determine other ways you can help support our mission.

There are many ways to make a difference! You could have a one-day event where everyone brings their donations to a specific spot on a chosen day. Another option is to have multiple collection points and accept donations over a few weeks. You can even team up with an event like a party, concert, or sports game and collect donations as people come in.

Once you’ve determined the kind of food drive you want to organize and talked to a local Blessings program or national staff member, follow these simple steps for a successful event:

• Make a plan. Determine when, where, and how you’ll hold your food drive. Logistics may involve setting up food bins, determining which items you want to collect, and, if you’re hosting a food drive at an event, recruiting volunteers to help.
• Set a goal for your event and make it measurable. Maybe it’s the number of individual items or pounds of food collected. Having a goal will help pave the way for success!
• Promote the food drive. Tell friends and family. Send emails. Make flyers. Post about it on social media. Click here to access a customizable food drive flyer Canva template for your event.
• Track your success, especially for longer-term events. Provide updates on the number of items collected and how close you are to your goal. Share a call to action to reach or surpass your goal.
• Lastly, thank your donors. Communicate with everyone who donated to your food drive about the number of items you collected and how their donations will positively impact the children in your community. Include a link or QR code to learn more or donate to Blessings in a Backpack.

Below are lists of approved foods and items to avoid. All collected food must be packaged in a sealed container or pouch with the ingredients listed. Please inspect all food, dents, or damage and ensure that expiration dates are within 30 days before donating it to a program.

Approved Food Items

• Individual cereal bowls/boxes
• Cereal or granola bars
• Shelf-stable yogurt or milk
• Fruit pouches or cups
• Juice boxes (100% juice)
• Individual packages of sunflower seeds
• Meat sticks, like Jack Links or Slim Jim
• Individual packages of popcorn, pretzels, Goldfish Crackers, Animal Crackers, or Scooby Snacks
• Raisin or craisin packets
• Pasta bowls or cans with pop-top lids, like Chef Boyardee
• Soup cans with pop-top lids

Items to Avoid

• Bulk items that require further packaging, like bulk cereal
• Food items prepared by an individual or group. Food donations must be in a sealed container by the manufacturer
• Due to food allergies, items that contain peanuts
• Applesauce cups with foil lids. They bust easily and can be quite messy. Choose applesauce pouches instead
• Fresh produce items that bruise easily, like bananas, peaches, or berries
• Canned items without pop-top lids. We can’t assume the kids who receive the food will have a can opener
• Perishable items or expired food
• Food high in sodium with more than 100mg of sodium per serving, like ramen noodles
• Candy, gum, or food of no nutritional value

Thank you for hosting a food drive for Blessings in a Backpack. Because of people like you, we’re providing weekend food for kids in your community and nationwide! If you need additional support or help finding a program near you, please fill out the form below, and a dedicated staff member will be in touch soon.