FRESH HARVEST FOOD BANK EVENT TOOL KIT

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Dayna Harrington
5 years ago
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1 FRESH HARVEST FOOD BANK EVENT TOOL KIT Although Douglas County consistently ranks in the top wealthiest counties in the United States, our county is home to many people who face a difficult time making ends meet and consistently putting food on the table. Whether it is due to a job loss, financial hardship, or an illness that has thrown a family into a crisis, we are here to offer a place for our community to find help and hope. While the need may be more visible in other parts of our state and metro area, it is hard to spot in Douglas County and the surrounding area. This doesn t mean that the need does not exist. Something to Think About According to a May 2013 report by Douglas County School District, the number of reported homeless students jumped 100 percent from 2009 when the district reported approximately 450 homeless students resided in its boundaries. Most of these students and their families have moved in with relatives or even other families to cut down on living expenses. Statewide, almost 1 in 7 Coloradans lived in poverty during That includes more than 1 in 6 Colorado kids (224,000 children under the age of 18). (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Poverty: , September 2013, and Colorado Children s Campaign, 2014 KIDS COUNT in Colorado!, March 2014) What Makes a Family? Fresh Harvest Food Bank counts a family as a household. The definition of family has changed over the years to include extended family members, grandparents and others in the household who share household responsibilities, as well as the children who reside with them. Fresh Harvest Food Bank has always maintained a focus on families, especially children. That s why it is imperative for us to consistently provide healthy, nutritious meals and snacks for families in our community. With your help, we can ensure that the families and children that rely on our pantry for food, and the pantries that rely on us to assist them in feeding their families, do not run dry. Food, Fund and School Supply Drives help us provide food for pantries, funds to support Fresh Harvest Food Bank programs, and school supplies for students to start the school year off on the right foot. Thank You! We cannot do it without you. Thank you for hosting a drive for us. Your support is critical to our success. We appreciate your efforts and look forward to seeing you around the food bank!

Event Registration Form Thank you for supporting Fresh Harvest Food Bank! We are delighted that you plan to hold a fundraising event for us! We are here to support your efforts!

This form gives us a clear idea of what your needs are and how we can help you pull off a successful event. We look forward to working with you!

2 Event Registration Form Thank you for supporting Fresh Harvest Food Bank! We are delighted that you plan to hold a fundraising event for us! We are here to support your efforts! In an effort to maintain a consistent message and coordinate the many different activities going on surrounding Fresh Harvest Food Bank, we ask that you complete our registration form. This form gives us a clear idea of what your needs are and how we can help you pull off a successful event. We look forward to working with you! Sponsor Information Name of sponsoring organization/individual: Contact Person: Phone: Address: Event Information Dine Out Night Fund Drive School Supply Drive Family Fun Night Community Event Holiday Celebrations Food Drive Toiletry Drive Birthday Bags Name of Event: Description: Location: Date(s): Time(s): Event Goal: Proceeds expected: Fresh Harvest Food Bank, a community food share organization, is committed to providing immediate hunger relief, support, and education for families in need throughout Douglas County and surrounding areas. For more information, call or info@freshharvestfoodbank.org. Please visit

3 Is this a large community event? Y N Target Audience: Estimated Attendance/Participation: Is a flier required? Y N Number of donation bins needed: Number of brochures needed: Number of posters/banners/signage needed: How will you be advertising or publicizing this event? Will you need assistance with advertising or publicity? Please describe: Number of Fresh Harvest Food Bank representatives requested: Fresh Harvest Food Bank, a community food share organization, is committed to providing immediate hunger relief, support, and education for families in need throughout Douglas County and surrounding areas. For more information, call or info@freshharvestfoodbank.org. Please visit

4 Promotion Schedule and Messaging We want to make sure that your event is a success and that you are recognized for your efforts in fighting hunger in our community. Below you will find a general timeline related to your event. Thank you for your support. 6-8 Weeks before your event Contact Fresh Harvest Food Bank and request an event registration form Return the form via to Michelle Tripp at michelle@freshharvestfoodbank.org with your company logo in jpeg form (web version at 300 dpi or less) If the event requires attendees to present a flier, please send a draft to your Fresh Harvest Food Bank representative no later than 6 weeks prior to the event. A Fresh Harvest Food Bank representative will contact you to confirm the details of the event Fresh Harvest Food Bank will promote the event in the following manner: Once a company logo is received, logo will be placed under the Community Support banner on the front page of the Fresh Harvest Food Bank website. In addition, Fresh Harvest Food Bank will list the event on the Fresh Harvest Food Bank calendar page, as well as our Facebook and Twitter feeds. Events will be listed in the Fresh Harvest Food Bank general newsletter, as well as any additional event s (see promotion timeline). Local media and calendar listings will be included when applicable. In return, we ask that your organization promote the event through all available communication channels (ie. Website, internal employee communications, fliers, signage, media, etc.) 4 Weeks before your event A confirmation packet will be mailed or dropped off to you within the week The packet will include a Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope from Fresh Harvest Food Bank for you to use to send us any proceeds from the event Fresh Harvest Food Bank, a community food share organization, is committed to providing immediate hunger relief, support, and education for families in need throughout Douglas County and surrounding areas. For more information, call or info@freshharvestfoodbank.org. Please visit

5 2-3 Weeks before your event A Fresh Harvest Food Bank representative will check in with you to ensure that all event materials are delivered and to confirm event details such as pickup and delivery and event contact person. You may request that Fresh Harvest Food Bank representative be present at the event kickoff or event day at this time. Event Day/Kickoff A Fresh Harvest Food Bank representative is present to answer any questions from staff, community members, etc. if applicable Confirm pickup and delivery date and time of drive items, as well as collection bins and event signage/materials 1-2 Weeks after your event A Fresh Harvest Food Bank representative will contact you to close out your event We will schedule any check presentations, media coverage, and/or other publicity for your event If you are interested in additional events, or would like to set your calendar for another event, we will schedule the event at this time Fresh Harvest Food Bank, a community food share organization, is committed to providing immediate hunger relief, support, and education for families in need throughout Douglas County and surrounding areas. For more information, call or info@freshharvestfoodbank.org. Please visit

6 Dear Drive Coordinator: First of all, THANK YOU! We know you have many demands on your time, and we truly appreciate your commitment to coordinating a drive for Fresh Harvest Food Bank and ending hunger in our community. As the coordinator, you will serve as the liaison between your organization and Fresh Harvest Food Bank. We are here to support you through the entire process. If you need assistance, please contact us at info@freshharvestfoodbank.org or call us We have created a handy reference kit to make it easy, fun and as uncomplicated as possible. After you have brainstormed with your team and set a date and goal for your drive, please fill out our Event Registration form (included in this packet) or on our website at This will ensure that your event is entered into our database and we are able to provide you with the necessary materials to make your drive a success. Our ability to serve families in need depends on the contributions of our community. Your support is critical to our success. We appreciate your dedication and look forward to working with you now and in the future! Sincerely, Jen Zander Director Fresh Harvest Food Bank

7 CHECKLIST Preparation! Set a drive committee to handle logistics o Decide who will be the point of contact for your drive o Consider appointing others who are enthusiastic about the drive as your champions! Decide if you will collect food, funds or school supplies! Set a drive goal! Set a date! Set a location! Decide on a theme. A focused drive is more successful.! Fill out our Event Registration form online! Decide if you will host a kickoff event. If so, request a speaker.! Coordinate transportation and delivery of your drive. Our resources are very limited -- besides, we love to meet new people! Communicate!! Begin planning your marketing campaign! Download and print off documents to use in your drive. You may request our logo to use in your own materials.! Send out s, phone messages, and newsletter announcements to promote your drive. o Personal appeals and action are more successful than mass mailings!! Request all needed items and spaces for your kick-off event Action!! Place your collection boxes in heavily trafficked, visible areas! Send out frequent notifications tracking the progress toward reaching your goal o If you have created a team competition, don t forget to include each team s progress. Success!! Call Fresh Harvest Food Bank to schedule your drop off! Share your success! Thank the people who participated. o Consider sharing your success on your organization s social media channels " Please tag " #neighborsinneed! Evaluate your drive! Set a date for your next drive

8 IDEAS TO GET YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING # 100 Cans Days o Collect 100 cans, boxes of food or pairs of socks/underwear for 100 days o Donate to Fresh Harvest Food Bank " Twist on the concept: Collect 100 pennies each day for 100 days # Wear Jeans/Hat Day for $1 o For a twist: College Sweatshirt Day, Pajama Day, Sports Team Day, Funky Sock Day # Department/Class Competitions o Each class and/or Department chooses an item from the Fresh Harvest Food Bank Top 10 List to collect o The class/department with the most items collected is declared the winner # Souper Bowl Celebrations o Soup and Crackers Collection o Easy microwave soups for our Wellness Packs o Top Ramen/Noodle Soups # Flush the Seahawks! Toiletry Drive o Or any other team you are rooting against! # $5/$20 Challenge o Can you give up your morning coffee run to feed one Fresh Harvest Food Bank person for a month? o Can you give $20 to feed one Fresh Harvest Food Bank family for a month? # Penny Wars o Collect pennies in a large water bottle or other see through container o Pennies are worth 1 point o Nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars (of any amount) subtract points from your competitor s total o Example: 500 pennies have been collected, but your competitor decides to sabotage your point total by adding $2 to your collection bottle. You now have 300 points = 300 points. # Pajama and Cereal Day o Plan a pancake breakfast and make the price of admission a pair of new pajamas or a box of cereal, pancake mix, and/or syrup # Neighborhood/Department/Business Complex/Shopping Center Drive o Organize a collection of toiletries, food, funds, coupon inserts, Box Tops, Labels for Education, etc. with your neighbors

Give a Meal Team Challenge Toolkit

Give a Meal Team Challenge Toolkit PARTICIPANT GUIDE Welcome to Give A Meal Team Challenge! We re so excited that you have joined Give A Meal Team Challenge to help fight hunger in your community. Your