Organizing a Food or Fund Drive for SHEM

Community food and fund drives are a wonderful way to support Sweet Home Emergency Ministries (SHEM) while helping raise awareness about hunger in our community.

Your donations provide nutritious food and essential operating support that help local individuals and families through difficult times. Food drives are especially valuable because they allow our community to come together and provide some of the highest-quality food SHEM receives.

Whether you're a school, business, faith-based organization, community group, family, or group of friends, your efforts make a real difference for our neighbors in Sweet Home.

Getting Started

Organizing a food drive can be easy, fun, and rewarding. Here are a few tips to help make your drive successful:

1. Let us know about your food drive

Please contact SHEM at least three weeks before your food drive whenever possible. Advance notice helps us plan for the additional staff and volunteers needed to receive and process your donations.

2. Set a goal

Choose a realistic goal based on how long your drive will run and how many people you expect to participate. You might set a goal by number of food items, pounds of food, or a dollar amount.

Choose a Good Time for Your Drive

If possible, please consider holding your food drive in early February or late September. These are typically times when SHEM receives fewer community donations, while the need for food assistance can be especially high.

By scheduling your drive during one of these periods, your group can help fill an important gap and make an even greater impact for local families.

3. Choose collection containers

Boxes are often a convenient way to collect and transport donated food. Consider placing clearly labeled collection boxes in easy-to-access locations.

4. Spread the word

Let your community know about your drive! You can:

·         Create posters or flyers.

·         Share information through newsletters, email, and social media.

·         Invite local schools, businesses, churches, clubs, and organizations to participate.

·         Contact local media outlets about your food drive.

5. Make it fun!

A little friendly competition can make a food drive even more successful. For example, challenge teams to see who can collect the most donations or organize an OSU Beaver vs. U of O Duck food drive competition. Over the years, this has been a popular favorite in our community!

6. Pre-sort your donations

Pre-sorting food drive donations is especially helpful to SHEM. Our facility has limited space and storage, so sorting items before delivery allows us to get donations onto our shelves and into food boxes more efficiently.

Consider creating a designated Sorting Station where participants can sort donations as they are collected. Clearly labeled boxes or areas can make the process simple and can be a great hands-on activity for younger volunteers.

Suggested categories include:

·        Baking supplies: flour, sugar, cake mixes

·         Canned meats: tuna, chicken, SPAM

·         Canned fruits: applesauce, peaches, pears, fruit cocktail

·         Canned vegetables: green beans, corn, chili beans

·         Soups, chili & stews

·         Rice, beans & grains

·         Paper products: toilet paper, paper towels, facial tissues

·         Personal Hygiene Items: soap, shampoo, deodorant, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes

·         Cleaning products: soap, laundry and dish soap

·         Baby Items: diapers, wipes (no baby food, please)

·         Miscellaneous: for items you're unsure how to categorize

If you're unsure whether we can accept an item or where it belongs, please contact the SHEM office at 541-367-6504.

7. Bring your donations to SHEM

Once your food drive is complete, deliver your donations to SHEM. Your generosity helps provide hunger relief to children, individuals, and families right here in Sweet Home.

Thank you for helping make sure our neighbors have access to the food and resources they need.

All donations, whether food or financial stay right here in Sweet Home to benefit local families.

Most-Needed Donation Items

SHEM can use a wide variety of shelf-stable food and personal-care items. Some especially helpful donations include:

Food

·         Coffee K Cups and Individually packaged wrapped tea bags

·         Canned fruits and vegetables

·         Flour (2# and 5# size)

·         Sugar

·         Dry Beans: lentils, navy, black, pinto

·         Rice

·         Peanut butter

·         Vegetable oil

·         Powdered or evaporated milk

·         Soup, stew, and chili

·         Juice

·         Cereal

·         Oatmeal

·         Canned meats: tuna, salmon, chicken

·         Individual packaged items: ramen, soft granola bars

Household & Personal Care

·         Toilet paper

·         Paper towels

·         Hand soap

·         Dish and laundry soap

·         Shampoo

·         Toothpaste and toothbrushes

·         Deodorant

·         Disposable razors

·         Baby wipes

·         Disposable diapers and wipes

·         Pet food

What We Cannot Accept

To help protect the safety of our clients and volunteers, SHEM cannot accept:

·         Rusty, severely dented, unlabeled, or expired cans

·         Homemade or home-canned foods

·         Glass jars or glass bottles

·         Alcoholic beverages or mixers

·         Opened or partially used products

·         Infant formula or baby food

If you're unsure whether an item can be donated, please contact the SHEM office at 541-367-6504 before bringing it in.

Thank You for Supporting Our Community

Every food item, personal-care product, and financial contribution helps SHEM serve local people in need.

Thank you for organizing a drive, spreading the word, and helping fight hunger in Sweet Home.