Coordinating a Food Drive? Food Banks Can Offer Support

Handling business and employment law cases, Phil Pettis is a partner with the law firm Boynton Waldron. Phil Pettis has received multiple awards for his work in the community, including the 2008 Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Portsmouth Rotary.

In response to reports of increased food insecurity rates worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rotary International published an article with tips for organizing a food drive. Among the tips, it highlights how to create a logistics plan and track its success, and the benefits of reaching out to a local food bank.

Asking for advice from a local food bank in advance of hosting a food drive can reap numerous benefits. Food bank staff have experience gathering food for their clients, and they can help you identify which foods are the most needed by which members of the community. Due to their experience, they can assist in areas such as raising awareness for the food drive and where and when to best hold the drive. In addition, they may have distribution channels set up and be able to assist with distributing the food received during the drive. Finally, food banks often have buying power that will expand the impact of any funds raised as part of the hunger-relief initiative.