Host a Drive

Host a Food Drive – Pathways, Inc.
Food Drive

Help us feed
Monroe County

We have a team ready to help you plan and run a successful food drive — any time of year. Your workplace, school, or community can make a real dent in local hunger.

New: we can now accept perishable food items with advance notice!
What we provide

We'll help every step of the way

You bring the enthusiasm — we bring the tools, experience, and support to make your drive a success.

Tools & Marketing

Custom flyers, email templates, posters, and promotional materials designed for your audience.

Advice & Strategy

We share what works — goal-setting, timing, motivating participants — from years of running drives.

Supplies & Pickup

Collection barrels, totes, money shakers, donation envelopes — and we'll come pick it all up when you're done.

What to collect

Most-needed items

We accept all non-bulk, non-perishable food items. These are what our families need most right now.

Helper meals (Rice-A-Roni, mashed potatoes) Tomato products (sauce, diced, paste) Crackers Mac & cheese / Easy Mac Ready-to-eat soup Canned fruit (pineapple, peaches) Pasta & rice Canned chicken & tuna Sweet cereal Oatmeal Beans (baked, refried, pork & beans) Mixed veggies & canned potatoes Assorted snacks Jiffy mix & pancake mix Ramen noodles Juice Vegetable oil Taco seasoning & spices Honey & flour

Drop-off accepted Mon–Fri, 7:35 AM–5:15 PM  ·  827 West 14th Court, Bloomington

Planning your drive

How long should your drive last?

The right timeline depends on your group. Here's what tends to work best by setting.

Neighborhood
1 day

A single-day drive works best, ideally tied to a neighborhood gathering to attract more donations.

Office / Workplace
1–2 weeks

A clear timeline gives coworkers a chance to get into the spirit. Friendly competition between teams helps.

Religious / Community Org
1 day or 2 weeks

Most successful with internal promotion tied to a meeting or celebration event.

Retail
1 month

Longer window lets customers bring items in on their next visit. High visibility near the entrance works best.

School
1–2 weeks

Gives students time to get excited and pass the word to parents. Classroom competitions drive participation.

Setting a goal
Start here

Estimate items per person (e.g. 5 cans) × number of participants. We can't provide supplies without a set goal.

Tips for success

How to run a great drive

The most successful drives share a few things in common. Here's what works.

Get leadership on board. Top-level buy-in dramatically increases participation rates.

Appoint a coordinator. Select one person or a small committee to own the drive.

Set a specific goal for pounds of food and/or dollars raised — and share it publicly.

Encourage healthy competition. Departments, floors, or classrooms competing against each other goes a long way.

Send regular updates with progress toward the goal. People respond when they can see the impact.

Use multiple reminders. Verbal, visual, and written — different people respond to different formats.

Place collection barrels in high-traffic, highly visible spots — lobbies, break rooms, entrances.

Add a virtual option. Secure online giving lets anyone participate regardless of location.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Yes! We offer pickup. Just let us know when registering your drive so we can coordinate timing.
Yes — this is new! We can now accept perishable items with advance notice. Please contact us before collecting perishables so we can plan for proper handling.
We can provide collection barrels, totes, money shakers (for collecting loose change and cash), food drive donation envelopes (self-sealing, for credit card or check donations), and customized promotional posters. All items can be requested during the registration process.
Each group's goal is unique. A simple approach: estimate how many items each person will bring (e.g. 5 cans), then multiply by the number of participants. We cannot provide supplies without a set goal, so come to registration with a number in mind.
🎉 Tie it to an event — a birthday, company anniversary, holiday party, or back-to-school night. Require a food donation as the "admission."
🏆 Run a competition — the department that donates the most wins a prize (dress-down day, lunch, movie passes). If a big goal is hit, have a leader do something fun.
🥫 Create theme days — "Macaroni Mondays," "Tuna Tuesdays," or "Peanut Butter Week" make it fun and memorable.
🤝 Request employer matching — ask your company to match food or funds donated by employees.
📱 Use social media — post progress updates, shout out top contributors, and build momentum publicly.
🎪 Host a community event — a bake sale, BBQ, car wash, or yard sale to benefit the drive.

Ready to host a drive?

Our team is ready to help. Reach out to get started — we'll walk you through everything and set you up for success.