Food Drive is one of our (DIY) Do it Yourself Volunteer Projects. DIY Volunteering allows families and groups of all ages and sizes to participate in flexible and meaningful community service opportunities from the comfort of their own homes or offices. DIY projects can be combined with social events, business meetings, celebrations, and more. You or your team will host a drive or purchase the supplies, complete the project, and drop off the completed project to the appropriate location. You may log your hours through the self log feature of your profile after registering for the event and completing your project. Once you have responded to this need you will be contacted by our project coordinator.
Food drives are a critical way volunteers can address real community needs individually or as a group, family, school, or neighborhood, especially now, during this critical time. Food items that you collect will benefit a family in need in Jacksonville's Historic Eastside neighborhood.
You can download an instructional document here which includes discussion questions and tips for holding a drive as well as a list of suggested items. Most needed items are nonperishable food items, peanut butter, dried beans, rice, grains, pasta, sauces, canned items, 'add water' types of meals (dried rice and pasta dishes etc). When selecting items, please keep in mind that items that are too high in sodium are not good for anyone!
Safety First
Safety is paramount! Please read and follow these precautions before beginning this volunteer project:
- Do not purchase items or prepare care packages if anyone in your household is sick
- When packaging goods, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face
- Donated items must be unopened, new, and not expired
For anyone collecting hours, we will verify one hour for every 10 items collected.
The food will be distributed by the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation. You can learn more about their important work here.
