How to Start a Canned Food Drive

February 19, 2022 | Blog, Supporters, Volunteer

In addition to Heart Health Month, February is also Canned Food Month. While this might not sound like a big deal to some people, for hunger-relief organizations like the North Texas Food Bank and our network of Partner Agencies – and the neighbors we serve – canned foods are a critical part of our inventory and of our ability to meet the hunger needs of North Texas (along with other shelf-stable items and fresh produce).

White garage door with orange sign with white text

We are grateful for the community support from individuals, organizations and businesses that host food drives throughout the year for NTFB and our partners. In honor of Canned Food Month, we want to share some ways you can donate food products or host your own canned food drive (in any month!) and join the fight against hunger in North Texas.

The first step to starting a drive is to read the NTFB Canned Food Drive Handbook. This will provide questions to think about as you plan your drive; the Food Bank’s most needed items; how to drop off your items; and other tools to run a successful drive!

The Food Bank can provide boxes, printable posters/flyers, social media graphics, and best practices to support your campaign. NTFB can also arrange a pick-up if your drive collected more than 8 full NTFB Food Drive boxes. This is equivalent to 2,000 pounds or 2,500 items. Don’t forget to register your food drive with us.

NTFB is committed to providing the neighbors we serve with nutritious, healthy food. We encourage you to review our most-needed items and try to focus your food drive on these products (also see below for the list).

We also have an Amazon Wish List for easy ordering of some of our most needed items or you can host a virtual food drive. Register as an individual or create/join a team and fill your virtual shopping cart with our most needed items.

Finally, if you’re a manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler, distributor, logistics company, or local food business, we would welcome the opportunity to work with you on donations. You can access the Food Industry Donation Form and learn more here.

Thank you for your support!