canned food drive

Get Involved with a Canned Food Drive!

A great way to help fight hunger in our community is to host a canned food drive in your office, school, neighborhood or community organization.  



We help facilitate Canned Food Drives of all sizes, from door to door drives put on by Scout Troops to school campus or corporation-wide events, and we can provide the tools you need to achieve your goal.

We would like to feature you Canned Food Drive!  Send photos, videos or stories to photos@freestorefoodbank.org.

 

How to arrange a drive:

  • Fill out the Info Sheet and mail, email or fax to Jamie Rosskopf.  Make sure to check for current food needs or ask for possible themes for the drive!
  • Contact: Jamie Rosskopf

Phone: (513) 482-4536
Fax: (513) 482-4518
Email: jrosskopf@freestorefoodbank.org

How to make your drive successful:

  • Announce the dates of the drive well in advance and continue to remind participants before and during the drive. 
  • Promotional materials are very important.  Use posters, flyers, newsletters, bulletins boards, emails, or even press releases to promote the can drive. 
  • Make it a competition!  Create teams or provide prizes for the winners if possible.
  • Document your drive – take lots of pictures of your group getting involved!  Send them to us at photos@freestorefoodbank.org so that we can post them on the Freestore Foodbank website.

When to have a drive:

  • Anytime!  Make sure to limit the length of your drive because participants may lose interest if the drive goes on too long.
  • Single day special event drives can be very popular if well publicized.

 

What to collect:

  • Non-perishable food items such as soup, canned fruits and vegetables, macaroni and cheese, cereal, rice, etc. 
  • The following items are ALWAYS needed: tuna, chicken, ham, beef stew, beans, chili with meat and beans, spaghetti and meatballs.
  • Personal care items (soap, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste/brush, feminine hygiene products, disposable diapers)
  • Monetary donations – for every $1 donated, we can secure $7-8 worth of food and other products.
    • Checks or money orders should be made out to Freestore Foodbank, Inc. Please mention the name of your organization and denote the donations as gifts for your particular drive.
    • Send checks and money orders (no cash please) to:

Freestore Foodbank
Attn: Jamie Rosskopf 
1250 Tennessee Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45229

How to schedule pick-up:

  • Barrel drops and pick ups must be scheduled between 7am and 2pm, Monday through Friday (unless special arrangements have been made in advance)
  • If you have barrels in different locations, we may ask you to assign a central receiving location during our busiest times.
  • If you are planning your drive for November or December, please be aware that we need more time to process your donation due to the heavy volume we received at that time of year.
  • The earlier we can pick up, the better (ideally 1 to 2 weeks before the holiday)!