Host a Food Drive

Encourage others to fight hunger!

Host a food drive at your work, school, congregation or event!

The food collected provides a greater variety of groceries for the community members we serve and is a tangible way for donors to visualize their impact.

Are you ready to hold a food drive? Learn more by reading the frequently asked questions below.

Food Drive FAQ

What kind of food is needed?

We recommend donating healthy, nonperishable food that you would like to eat! Here’s a list of our most needed items:

Nut butters (peanut, almond)
Jam/jelly/honey
Canned tuna and chicken (in water)
Boxed macaroni and cheese
Shelf-stable milk
Applesauce 
Beans/lentils (dry or canned)
Rice 
Whole grain cereals/crackers
Oat/oatmeal/farina
Whole wheat/grain pasta
Canned soups/vegetables/tomato products (low sodium, easy open)
Canned fruits (in juice)
100% Fruit juice (cartons or small boxes only)
Nonperishable ready-to-eat meals: chili, ravioli, meats, etc. (low sodium)

Holiday Food List (no glass, please!):

Macaroni noodles 
Mashed potato flakes
Gravy mix (powdered)
Canned sweet potatoes
Canned green beans
Canned pumpkin
Cream of mushroom soup
Cranberry sauce
Stuffing mix
Pinto beans (dry)
Masa
Cornbread mix
Cornhusks
Flour
Cooking oil 
Cinnamon (ground)
Chicken stock
Scalloped potato (boxed)

Download a Food Drive Shopping List (PDF) ›

Please note: The Food Bank cannot accept glass containers, food one year past its ‘best by’ date, open or partially-used products, alcohol, food without nutrition labels, or any frozen/refrigerated foods.

Do not put cash or checks in the collection bins! Please give monetary gifts to Food Bank staff or mail checks to 4010 Nelson Ave, Concord, CA 94520.

What should I use to collect the food?

We recommend using boxes or bags you have on hand to collect and transport food.

How do I get a collection barrel?

We are happy to provide barrels or cardboard totes for large-scale food drives that meet our guidelines. After reviewing our food barrel guidelines, we welcome food drive organizers to request food collection barrels/totes via our form.

Where do I drop off the food?

Nonperishable food can be dropped off at our Concord or Fairfield warehouses.

If you collect more than 100 food items, you may contact us to schedule a pickup, if needed.

Our barrel is full, what do we do?

That’s great, it means your drive is going really well! Please email the Food and Fund Drive Coordinator at fooddrive@foodbankccs.org or call 925-849-8363 to schedule a pickup within 10 business days. We appreciate your patience when it might take a little longer, especially during the busy holiday season.

Will you let me know how much we collected?

We will weigh your food and send a letter or email with the total pounds collected.

Food Drive Sign-up

On behalf of our neighbors in need, we thank you for starting a food drive for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. After you complete the form, please allow up to 5 business days for the Food and Fund Drive Coordinator to process your request.

"*" indicates required fields

X/Twitter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Company/Organization/School/Event*

Coordinator's Contact Info*

First Last

Phone Number*

Email Address*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Event Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code

Do you want your thank-you letter mailed to a different address?

Yes

Mailing Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code

When do you plan to start your food drive?*

Please note: If you are requesting barrels and will be collecting enough for delivery, please allow a minimum of 10 business days from filling this form.

Tell us more about your food drive and how we can help make it successful

Do you need collection barrel(s) for your food drive?*

No, we will use boxes and bags we have on hand.

Yes, we can commit to fill 1 to 3 barrels and will plan to pick-up from one of your warehouses.

Yes, we can commit to fill 4 or more barrels and will need assistance with drop-off/pick-up

Yes, we commit to fill 4 or more barrels and will plan to pick-up/drop-off ourselves

Food Barrel Guidelines*

I agree to the Food Bank's barrel guidelines as described on this form.

Drop-offs (4+ barrels) and pick-ups are available Monday through Friday between 10 am and 2 pm. (Depends on city. Select Saturdays may be available for pre-approved, large-scale events only)

Community members requesting less than 4 barrels are requested to self-pick-up at one of our warehouses. This allows us to dedicate our drivers and trucks to our community food distribution programs.

The Food Bank will provide the following containers for use: branded 55-gallon barrels and cardboard totes (approx. 220 gallons). The use of any other type of food collection container is the responsibility of the donor.

Wrapping food barrels in gift wrap or any other material that covers our messaging is not allowed.

Damaged/stolen food barrels are subject to $75 donation to replace the barrel. Please keep your barrel(s) safe and away from outside elements such as rain and rodents.

Delivery/pick-up requests must be made a minimum of 3 days in advance and are subject to a 7-day waiting period, per our truck schedule and seasonal resource availability.

Food Bank Pick-up Guidelines
Food barrels must be full in order to schedule pick-up. Email fooddrive@foodbankccs.org to schedule pick-up. We are not able to pre-schedule pick-ups.

Community members/organizations that have not collected at least one full food donation barrel will be invited to return the barrel and any collected food items to either of the Food Bank warehouses (Concord or Fairfield).

Delivery/pick-up is only available for ground floor locations. Location must have adequate parking and street level access or ramp for barrel transport equipment.

One-day Food Drives
Barrels and/or cardboard totes that are dropped off and picked up on the same day require a minimum collection of 8 barrels or 2 totes (approximately 800 food items).

Year-round Food Barrel Locations
Barrels must remain visible and accessible during public open hours. To ensure food is fresh, we recommend a minimum of 3 pickups per year.

The Food Bank’s list of most-needed food donations is available on our website. Please, non-perishable items only, no glass, no homemade food, or open/expired food items.

How many barrels do you need?*

We request a commitment to collect at least 100 food items per barrel.

Is the delivery/pickup address different from your mailing address?*

No, both addresses are the same

Yes

Barrel Delivery/Pickup Address*

Street Address City State ZIP Code

If not the same as your mailing address.

Are there any instructions for our delivery driver? (Hours of operations, access information, etc.)

Delivery is available between 9 am and 2 pm to ground floor locations only. Location must have adequate parking and street level access or a ramp for barrel transportation equipment.

Preferred Delivery Date*

Thank you for your flexibility since barrel pickup and delivery is conducted in addition to our regular food distribution routes. Please allow at least 10 business days lead time for pickup/delivery.

Fundraising Toolkit

These assets are to help the Food Bank’s community members and partners who are fundraising on behalf of our mission. Thank you for your efforts.

About the Food Bank

Founded in 1975, The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is a critical resource for residents in our local communities. Our mission is leading the fight to end hunger, in partnership with our community and service of our neighbors in need. Through our partnership with Feeding America, the Food Bank distributes nutritious food directly to clients as well as through a network of more than 245 partners and nonprofits — providing enough food for 2.7 million meals every month. The Food Bank also strategically engages in advocacy work to raise awareness and mobilize support to end hunger, and we are recognized as one of Feeding America’s Hall of Fame honor roll members for excellence in advocacy.

During times of crisis, the Food Bank team serves as second responders by providing food for communities impacted by natural disasters and emergencies. As Feeding America’s hub for disaster relief on the West Coast we’ve helped respond to disasters in 16 Northern California counties and beyond.

With 97 cents of every $1 donated going toward food distribution, the Food Bank is committed to financial transparency and consistently earns Charity Navigator’s highest four-star rating. To learn more about the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, visit www.foodbankccs.org.

Impact highlights (pdf)

How the Food Bank works (pdf)

Grab-n-Go Stats

$1 can provide enough food for at least two meals.
We have been serving our community since 1975.
We provide food to 79,000 households on average each month.
We distribute enough food to provide more than 2.7 million meals each month.
66% of the food we distribute is fresh produce, proteins and dairy.
We work with 245+ partner agencies, ensuring we make maximum impact in the areas we serve.
Volunteers provided more than 110,000 hours last year. That’s the equivalent of 51 full-time employees!
$0.97 cents of every $1 goes directly to food programs.
The grocery recovery program rescued 9 million pounds of healthy food last year that would otherwise be discarded.
We have a distinguished 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, a third-party platform that reviews nonprofits for accountability, transparency and financial health.

Download impact highlights (pdf)

Logos

Please note: Food Bank staff must approve all logo usage prior to publication or printing.

To download the image, you can right click (PC) or command click (MAC) on the link and select “save link as” (Firefox & Chrome), “save target as” (Internet Explorer), or “download linked file” (Safari) to save a copy of the file.

Color Logos

Large Scale (1210 x 439)
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Small Scale (227 x 79)
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Greyscale Logos

Large Scale (1210 x 439)
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Small Scale (227 x 79)
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Food Bank Images

Click the thumbnail to view the full size images for download.

Clients

Volunteers

B-roll

Download b-roll footage

Toolkit Information and Guidelines

Thank you for joining a community of hunger fighters and for your interest in helping the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano get food to those in need.

If you haven’t submitted your fundraiser yet, quickly start a virtual food/fundraiser drive online today or learn more about hosting a food drive.

The materials provided here are aimed to help you promote your food and fundraising drive. You’ll find details on how to easily print and customize these materials in the toolkit instructions.

If you would like more information, or need help with your food and fundraising drive, please contact the Food and Fund Drive Coordinator at fooddrive@foodbankccs.org.

Toolkit Instructions

Social Media Graphics

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