Thank you for your interest!

My name is Rose Goodbread and I am an Americorps member at MANNA FoodBank. This year, I am coordinating the food drive!

In 2022, the student food drive raised almost 23,000 pounds of canned food. We hope to exceed this amount in 2023!

I look forward to working with each of you to help your school have a successful food drive. Please read the following information below to learn more about the 2023 Student Food Drive.

Use the resources below to help get your school started collecting food!

Helpful Tips to Organize a Food Drive at your School

Decide How You Will Collect the Donated Food

Please, do NOT use barrels to collect your food. While we would love to be able to provide containers for your food drive, the logistical and supply issues tax our already stretched resources. Boxes can be found at places like your local grocery stores, moving companies, and other businesses that utilize boxes. If you need help sourcing boxes, please contact Rose Goodbread.

Decorate the collection boxes and send a picture of your box to Rose, rgoodbread@mannafoodbank.org for a chance to win Most Creative Award at the end of the food drive.

Promote your Food Drive

Create your own materials and/or request supplies, such promoting the event on your school's website or including it in your school's newsletter.

Set Measurable Goals

Set collection goals so students and faculty can easily measure how close you are to accomplishing them.

Pie the Principal - Once your school determines a goal; if the goal is reached, the principal gets a pie to the face

Jean Day - Faculty members get to wear jeans if they bring x amount of food

Ice Cream for Canned Food - Students that bring x amount of canned food get to participate in an ice cream social

Choose a Meaningful Theme to Boost Involvement

Read to Feed - This theme is built on a reading competition in which students collect pledges from friends and family members. Students set goals to read a certain number of books over a period of time, and sponsors donate cans of food to support the goal.

“Meat” the Need - Encourage students to collect high-protein food items, such as canned tuna or chicken. To take advantage of this theme, create posters and cardboard cutouts with meat-related images.

You have collected food, now what? Before the food drive begins, your school will decide if they want to donate their canned food to MANNA FoodBank or directly to a Partner Agency near your school. View a list of MANNA's Partner Agencies here.

Once you have decided, please have your decision to Rose by Friday February 17th. Rose will coordinate all of the pickups depending on which donation option you choose!

No matter which option you decide, the canned food you raise will be benefitting many families in Western North Carolina!

Rose Goodbread

Americorps Program Associate

rgoodbread@mannafoodbank.org

(828)-299-3663 x1268