The Harry Chapin Food Bank welcomes gifts of canned, packaged and bottled food as well as cleaning supplies and personal toiletry items from supermarkets, grocery stores, food manufacturers, farmers, produce houses, food brokers and other related businesses - as well as from individuals and groups.
To donate food products, e-mail Bedzaida Bryen at bedzaidabryen@harrychapinfoodbank.org
or call (239) 334-7007 ext 141.
Download your FOOD DRIVE PACKET here!
Gifts of Food
There are many benefits to being a food donor to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Such benefits include:
Reducing Warehouse Costs
Help your business by donating your overstock, package damages, label errors, near-dates, and other food stock problems to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Our professional staff will promptly receive and remove your donations.
Obtaining a Tax Deduction
Current tax laws may permit your company to deduct costs - plus one-half anticipated profit. We have a fact sheet but please check with your tax preparer.
Building Employee Pride
Build a sense of community service among your employees and a precedence of corporate responsibility, as well as a value of serving the hungry in society.
Spreading the Products to Reach the Many in Need
A large gift of food products to the Harry Chapin Food Bank filters down through the 150+ member agencies we serve in the five counties of Southwest Florida. This process allows a donor of food products to serve many more people by donating once, rather than attempting to spread out the food distribution.
Assuring Proper Processing of the Food Products
Only approved, non-profit tax-exempt charities and churches receive the food from the food bank. These charity agencies are monitored for food handling safety and proper distribution (food for the ill, the needy, and children).
Please help us become more effective at bridging the gap between hunger and waste.Next > Annual Food Drives
The Harry Chapin Food Bank participates in four major food drives conducted through or on behalf of the Food Bank:
National Association of Letter Carriers Annual "Stamp out Hunger" Food Drive (Spring)
The food drive is conducted through the leadership and participation of the National Association of Letter Carriers and the United States Postal Service, as well as Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest). During the largest one-day food drive in the nation, postal residents are asked through mailed postcards to leave bags of nonperishable groceries for the mail carriers to pick up. The drive contents are then transported to the food bank for sorting and distribution.
In the Spring of 2011, the Harry Chapin Food Bank received more than 400,000 pounds of food from this event.
Publix Holiday Food Drive (October through December) and Spring Drive (March through April)
The Holiday and Spring Food Drive is conducted through the leadership and participation of Publix Supermarkets. Pre-packaged foods that are ideal for food bank distribution to partner agencies are sold at the register at area Publix Supermarkets. Throughout the food drive, the pre-packaged food is transported daily to the Food Bank for sorting and distribution.
The Harry Chapin Food Bank received more than 680,000 pounds (423,195 lbs.-Winter 2009 and 262,677 lbs.-Spring 2010) of food from this amazing food drive.< Prev Next > Food & Fund Drives
A food and fund drive is an excellent opportunity for practically any segment of the Southwest Florida community to become direct partners with the Harry Chapin Food Bank in our fight to end hunger. A food and fund drive can be conducted by churches, neighborhoods, businesses, unions, service clubs, schools, military units, scouts, sports teams, or any group of dedicated people who realize it takes local initiative to solve a local problem.
Food and fund drives are critical to the Food Bank’s ongoing mission of collecting and redistributing millions of pounds of food to poor and hungry individuals and families in Southwest Florida. Cash donations are equally important and are used to operate the Food Bank’s warehouse, to pay for utilities to operate our large freezer and cooler, and to cover fuel and maintenance on our refrigerated trucks. The food and monetary donations you raise during your drive will be quickly reinvested into many Food Bank programs. Remember that for every $1.00 donated, the Food Bank can distribute $6.00 in food value.
We have a FOOD DRIVE PACKET available that gives you useful tips and ideas for running a successful Food Drive.
Promote!
You can begin by promoting your food and fund drive now. Share information throughout your community to raise involvement early in the process. You can also promote your food and fund drive in community and church bulletins, through local media, at neighborhood grocery stores, and lots of other places.
Set a Goal!
No matter what your approach, it helps to have a specific goal for your food and fund drive. This gives participants something to work toward and a benchmark for success.
Have Fun!
Your food and fund drive can be more fun and successful if you decide upon some creative approaches together. Use cans as entry into a sporting event in lieu of tickets or hold a CAN-struction sculpture contest among teams or groups of people.Set Up a Central Location!
Collect donated food and grocery items at a central location throughout your drive. This will make it easier to load your food at the completion of your food and fund drive. Assign one or two individuals to be responsible for financial contributions to the Food Bank.
Make It Educational!
Participating in a food and fund drive is an excellent opportunity to educate your neighbors, friends, and family about the meaning of community sharing, hunger and nutrition, economics, and volunteerism.
Make the Delivery!
At the completion of your successful food and fund drive, contact the Harry Chapin Food Banks to schedule a drop-off of your donated items. If your event gathers large amounts of food, arrangements may be made for a Food Bank pick-up.Most Needed Items!
Peanut Butter, Canned Luncheon Meats, Chili, Macaroni and Cheese, Canned Stews, Canned Soups, Full Meals in a Can, Tuna, Beans and Rice< Prev