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Be a home collection hero

You can help make sure your local food bank has the supplies it needs to serve your community by setting up a home-based collection point and becoming a home collection hero! It’s an easy way to make a real difference to the lives of people in crisis. 

 

Decide when to run your collection and check in with your local food bank to see what they need most before starting. They’ll also let you know when and where to drop off your donations! You can use our resources to get started.

 

  • Please ensure the collection point is within the bounds of your property. You’ll need to find a box or bag for collections, and we recommend you empty the container regularly (at least daily).
  • When you’re emptying the box, make sure you take the same precautions you would with your own shopping e.g. wearing gloves, washing your hands, disinfecting surfaces.
  • Make sure people know about your food collection point and what they need to do. Promote it to friends and family and circulate a food list to everyone so they know what to give. You can use our ‘collection post’ to encourage donations.
  • Check your local food bank’s social media profiles to find out what they’re most in need of and see if they’re asking for anything specific. The donation is all the more valuable if you’re giving items that are truly needed. If they don’t need anything specific, you can use our standard food list which is featured on the ‘collection post’.
  • Get in touch with your local foodbank directly (you can find their contact details using https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/) to agree the best time to drop the donations off to them. Your local food bank won’t be able to collect the donations themselves, and so it is really helpful to get in touch with them and find out when you can drop them off.
  • Once your collection has finished, remember to get in touch with people who donated and share how many items were collected, where the food has gone, and how grateful you – and the food bank – are for their support. You could share the ‘thank you image’ on social media too.