Food Drive Coordinator’s Manual

Administrative Offices ∙ 205 E Pine, Suite 103 ∙ Tulsa OK 74106 ∙ 918.587.1186 Men’s & Women’s Ministry Center ∙ 506 N. Cheyenne ∙ Tulsa OK 74103 ∙ 918.587.1187 Family and Youth Center ∙ 2027 N. Cincinnati Ave. ∙ Tulsa OK 74106 ∙ 918.592.1186

CONDUCTING A FOOD DRIVE FOR JOHN 3:16 MISSION Plan 1. 2. 3. 4.

Choose a start date and stop date for your food drive. Determine a food collection site that is highly visible and secure. Develop an incentive plan for participants (this can be as simple or complex as you want). Set a goal for your collection. Setting a goal is a good way to motivate and provide a sense of accomplishment at the end. 5. Choose a theme for your food drive; this creates a fun environment and helps boost participation. 6. Contact Mindy at 918.587.1186 or [email protected] to inform John 3:16 Mission of the food drive, request any boxes or totes, and to discuss pick up options.

Promote 1. Create, circulate, and post flyers. Send out e-mails to participants. Circulate press releases if applicable. 2. Post signs at drop site a week before the event as a reminder.

Collect 1. Place someone in charge of maintaining the food drop off location(s). Making sure there are plenty of sturdy boxes available for collection and that the area is safe and secure. 2. Have a secure place or a designated person to collect any funds that might come in. 3. Plan on a couple of days after the drive is over to collect any extra donations that might come.

Celebrate 1. Inform your participants of their success. At the end of your food drive, John 3:16 Mission will weigh your donations and send you a statement of how much was collected. 2. Create awareness of your community support through your company newsletter, press release, or announcing at company meetings. 3. Award participants with the promised incentives.

FOOD DRIVE THEMES, CONTEST, & INCENTIVE IDEAS Macaroni Monday Theme your food drive by focusing on one food item, this takes all the guess work out of it for those participating. If you are having a food drive that is a week long, label each day with a different food item. You could do a “Macaroni Monday”,” Tuna Tuesday”,” Wheaties Wednesday”,” TP (toilet paper) Thursday”, and “Fruity Friday”. Holiday Food Drive This is a great way to provide high demand items during the holiday seasons by hosting a Holiday Fixing Food Drive. Have each department in charge of one holiday food item. Or set a goal for everyone to bring a complete holiday meal. CANstruction Get your team together to do some “CANstruction”. Teams compete by building sculptures entirely out of food, which are then donated to John 3:16 Mission. The sculptures are judged at the end of the event and prizes are awarded. “Beans for Jeans” Sponsor a casual day for each employee who brings a certain amount of cans for your drive – this is a fun and easy incentive. Host a Party Hold an event/party where the cost of admission is 10 or more cans of food, 10 packages of new socks, or a toy. Host a Food Drive at Your Local Grocery Store Maybe the group you are working with is not that large. Here is a way a small group can make large impact. Contact a local grocery store and ask if you can set up outside to pass out flyers and request their shoppers pick up a few extra items to be donated to John 3:16 Mission. More times than not a shopper will pick up a couple extra cans as they shop then drop them off to you as you leave. John 3:16 Mission may be able to bring their truck and totes to help facilitate collection and transporting the collections. Get the Word Out to Your Community Your group’s impact can multiply by getting the community you are in involved in the food drive. Map out certain neighborhoods that are close by or that you are interested in getting information about your organization or church to. Have small groups go door to door collecting food. (See attached instructions for neighborhood collections.)

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD COLLECTIONS Option 1 1) Organize the canned food drive with your work/church/organization leadership. 2) Prepare a flyer/bulletin with the following information: Organization introduction/welcome Information about church times, business hours, a note from the CEO, or other pertinent information. Signify on the flyer/bulletin that you are conducting a canned food drive for the John 3:16 Mission. 3) Canvas a particular neighborhood or area on a given day and time. Saturday (10 a.m. - Noon) seems to be a good time as many people are home. 4) Knock on the door and introduce yourself and the organization you are representing while handing the flyer/bulletin to the individual. 5) Tell them you are conducting a canned food drive for the John 3:16 Mission and ask if they are able to donate two (2) cans of food for the homeless and needy. 6) If possible, have pickups and empty boxes with you, along with people to help separate out particular items of canned goods as they are received. (i.e. - one box for green beans, another for corn, another for tuna fish, etc.)

Option 2 1) Organize the canned food drive with your work/church/organization leadership. 2) Purchase small heavy duty bags (or ask the local grocer for donation) and prepare a flyer/bulletin with the following information: (same as above but also include) Signify on the flyer/bulletin that you are conducting a canned food drive for the John 3:16 Mission and ask if they are able to donate food for the homeless and needy. Date and time items will be picked up and instruct them to leave the canned goods in the bag on their porch. 3) Canvas a particular neighborhood or area on a given day and time. Leave the bags with the flyers enclosed on the doors of homes. Keep track of the homes you leave the bags and give them a couple days to respond. 4) On the predetermined day and time, reassemble your group and organize to have trucks/SUVs to pick the items up at the homes where the bags were left.

RECOMMENDED ITEMS FOR COLLECTION You are always welcome to call and check on immediate our unusual items that might be needed. Most-needed food items:  Canned vegetables  Canned fruit  Canned meat (tuna, chicken, beef)  Canned soup  Cereals  Pasta  Rice

Holiday Food Basket Needs 1 - frozen turkey 1 - box stuffing mix 1 - bag instant potatoes 1 - pack dry gravy mix 1 - box macaroni and cheese 2 - canned sweet potatoes 2 - canned corn 2 - canned green beans 2 - canned black eyed peas 1 - canned cranberry sauce or fruit 1 - jell-o or pie filling

Most-needed household/personal care items:  New socks and underclothes  Toilet Paper  Soap  Deodorant  Toothbrushes/ Toothpaste

TIPS AND WARNINGS       

We can not accept opened containers, expired products or any homemade foods. Please pack food in sturdy, medium size boxes and exercise caution with lifting boxes or bags of canned food. They can be extremely heavy. We prefer not to have product in glass. However, if someone donates glass, please pack those foods in separate box and label it “Glass”. If you would like to get your group further involved, set aside a time at the end of the food drive to sort the food by type and then mark the boxes clearly. Check with your local grocery stores because they will often donate shopping bags or boxes to help with your drive. If you are canvassing an area make sure everyone is clearly identified with your organization. Do not put monetary donations in with the donations. Please mail any monetary donation to our office: John 3:16 Mission, P.O. Box 1477, Tulsa OK 74101.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLS/LINKS http://www.cfbeo.org/HungerFacts.aspx http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america.aspx http://www.kidscanmakeadifference.org http://www.bread.org

FLYER TEMPLATES The following pages contain flyer templates your organization may use as guides for your food drive. Make sure you insert your organizations name, the date & time of your food drive, contact information, and items your collecting. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Neighborhood Collection Flyer General Food Drive Flyer Grocery Store Food Drive Flyer Food Drive Drop Site Flyer

(Organization Name) is having a Food Drive for John 3:16 Mission Oklahoma ranks first in the nation in the number of people who are “very low food insecure/” or hungry and sixth in the nation in the number of people who are food insecure, which is defined by the USDA as being hungry at times during the year due to a lack of money for food. (organization name) is collecting the following items to help families in our community have something to eat:

 Canned Vegetables  Canned Fruit  Canned Tuna

 Canned Soup  Pasta  Rice

We are asking everyone in (Neighborhood name) to fill the attached sack with non-perishable food items, set it on your porch on (date of collection) and someone from (organization name) will be by to collect it between (hours of collection). Please contact (food drive coordinator) if you have any questions at (phone #).

HUNGER is a big problem with a simple solution…

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(Your Organization’s Name) is collecting:  Canned Vegetables  Canned Fruit  Canned Tuna

 Canned Soup  Pasta  Rice

To be distributed to families in need through John 3:16 Mission

(Date of Food Drive) Drop off donation at (Location of Collection) For more information please contact (organization’s food drive coordinator) at (phone)

(organization’s logo)

Here are some flyers if you are having a food drive at a local grocery store: (they fit 4 to a sheet and you can copy and cut them) HUNGER IS A PROBLEM AND ...

Fill a Sack 16% of Oklahomans are considered to be food insecure. You can help get food on their table by filling a sack and donating it to John 3:16 Mission

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Could YOU pick up a couple of food items to help John 3:16 Mission fill food baskets for those in need? Help by purchasing the following items:  Canned Veggies  Canned Fruit  Canned Tuna

 Canned Soup  Pasta  Rice

Thank you for your support! To find out more about John 3:16 Mission visit their website at www.john316mission.org or call 918-587-1186.

Purchase the following items while you are shopping and drop them off on your way out:  Canned

Vegetables  Canned Fruit  Canned Tuna  Canned Soup  Pasta  Rice Thank you for your support! To find out more about John 3:16 Mission visit their website at www.john316mission.org or call 918-587-1186.

Happy Thanksgiving! Could you pick up a couple of food items to help John 3:16 Mission prepare Thanksgiving food baskets for families who are in need from the Tulsa area?

Help us collect the following items:

Canned corn Canned green beans Canned sweet potatoes Canned cranberry sauce Stuffing Mix Macaroni and Cheese

Thank you for your support! To find out more about John 3:16 Mission visit their website at www.john316mission.org or call 918-587-1186.

Your Organization’s Name

Drop Site (Date(s) of Collection) All food and monetary donations will be distributed to families in need through John 3:16 Mission.