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Host a Food Drive to Help Stock Our Food Pantry

Once a month Nourish delivers nonperishable, easily prepared grocery items to our clients with the most need. This is a supplement to our daily hot, nutritious meals program.

This program is provided at no cost to our clients thanks to community donations.

You can help by donating, or hosting a food drive to gather and donate,

 any of the following easily prepared nonperishable items:

  • Easily prepared side dish packets

  • Sides of noodles and rice in sauce

  • Rice a roni and pasta roni

  • Tuna and Hamburger Helpers

  • Tomato based pasta sauce (24oz.)

  • Spaghetti noodles (16 oz.)

  • Peanut butter (16 oz.)

  • Jelly (16 oz.) (no squeeze bottles)

  • Canned stew/Hormel Compleats

  • Instant potatoes and rice

  • Microwavable popcorn

  • Hot chocolate or apple cider packets

  • Breakfast Bars

  • Canned tuna and chicken

  • Canned fruit

  • Canned corn, green beans, carrots

  • Individual instant oatmeal packets

  • Non-sugared cereal

  • Hearty soups (not broth or cream of...)

  • Macaroni and cheese (no cups)

  • Just add water/milk pancake mixes

  • Snack crackers

  • Cookie, chip, and nut variety packs

  • Toilet paper and tissues (cube boxes)

All nonperishable food items are appreciated. However, please avoid:

  • Items that are past their expiration date

  • Family sized items. Most of our clients are preparing meals for only one or two people.

  • High sodium foods such as ramen noodles and canned spaghetti and ravioli

  • Canned beans other than green beans and baked beans

  • Cake, cookie, and brownie mixes

Donations can be delivered to:

92 E Arapahoe Rd, Littleton, CO 80122

Monday-Friday between 8:00 am-2:00 pm. NourishMealsOnWheels.org â—† 303-798-7642.

Hosting a Successful Food Drive

Are you ready to unite your community in a powerful initiative to make a real difference in the lives of older and homebound adults? Whether you're a local business owner, a student leader, a member of a faith-based organization, or part of a civic group, hosting a food drive to stock Nourish's Food Pantry presents a fantastic opportunity to come together and create positive change. Here are some best practices and ideas for hosting a successful food drive:

  • Set Clear Goals: Clearly define the objectives of your food drive. Whether it's to collect a certain number of items, or create competition among departments or grade levels, having clear goals will help motivate participants and measure success.

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  • Understand Your Audience: Take the time to understand their interests, preferences, and motivations. Tailor your food drive to resonate with the people you'll be asking for support. You want to inspire them to take action. 

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  • Choose Collection Points: Determine where and how you'll collect food donations. This could include setting up collection bins, organizing drop-off points, or leveraging online platforms for virtual food drives using our Amazon Wishlist.

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  • Promote Your Food Drive: Spread the word about your food drive through multiple channels, including social media, email newsletters, flyers, and word-of-mouth. Highlight the impact of donations and encourage people to get involved by sharing stories or testimonials from our clients. 

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  • Offer Incentives: Consider offering incentives to encourage participation, such as prizes for the individual or group that collects the most donations, recognition for top contributors, or special perks for donors (e.g., discounts at your business, pizza party, ice cream social, casual day, etc.)

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  • Use Our Flyer or Create More Themed Guidelines: Clearly communicate what items are most needed and acceptable for donation. Themed food drives can help make competitions fun - for example one department collects canned vegetables, while another does side dishes, and another does hearty soups and stews. This can also be done with a different monthly or quarterly theme. 

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  • Convenience is Key: Make it as easy as possible for people to donate by offering convenient drop-off locations and flexible donation times. Consider providing the option to donate financially or through our wish list online in addition to dropping off items.

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  • Educate and Raise Awareness: Use your food drive as an opportunity to educate the community about why you're hosting. Share about Nourish Meals on Wheels and information about local hunger statistics, the impact of donations, and resources available for those in need. These details are on our Why We Deliver page, and we can provide some handouts too.

 

  • Express Gratitude: Show appreciation to donors, volunteers, and partners who support your food drive. Recognize their contributions through thank-you notes, social media shoutouts, or public acknowledgments to foster goodwill and encourage continued engagement. We are happy to help with this piece too!​

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