Home › Give Food › Food Drives

Food Drives

Manna’s food pantry is largely stocked through community food donations. With your help, we can offer food, produce, and hygiene items to individuals who are in need in our community. From a can of food to a car full of groceries, your participation makes a difference!

Here are a few tips to start your food drive:

  1. Logistics: Determine the timing of your food drive – when you will start it and how long you will collect food. We often need more help in late spring and summer months, as food donations lessen but need remains high. We accept food in cardboard boxes, bags, or bins – but it helps if you do not need to take back the container that you bring. Recruit volunteers to help collect, sort and bring the food to Manna. Let foodresources@mannaonmain.org know an approximate date of your food drive to get it on our calendar.
  2. Food Needs: Find out Manna’s current food needs and share with those involved.
  3. Promotion: Promote the food drive through email, social media, flyers, and word-of-mouth. Print food donation bin signs, or you can make up your own.
  4. Make it fun! Have contests between departments or neighbors, or see how many bins you can fill. Or, have a themed food collection such as, “Kid-Friendly Foods” (PB&J, canned fruits, pastas, etc.); “Healthy Breakfast Foods” (non-sugary cereals, oatmeal, canned fruit, shelf-stable milk); or “Italian Foods” (pastas, spaghetti sauces, canned tomatoes, etc). You could also do a drive to collect the same items to make bags such as baby bags, cleaning bags, and hygiene bags (Let us know if you come up with your own!) Please contact Manna’s Food Resource Director at foodresources@mannaonmain.org for more details or ideas.
  5. Drop Off: When your food drive is complete, contact Manna’s Food Resources Director, foodresources@mannaonmain.org, regarding your drop off date, time, and amount. We prefer food drives be dropped off at our warehouse location (Lansdale Business Center 650 N Cannon Ave Lansdale) for sorting during the hours of 9am-5pm from Monday – Friday when we have the most staff and volunteers.

Thank you so much for coordinating a food drive for Manna on Main Street and the neighbors we serve! If you have any questions, please contact Manna’s Food Resources Director, foodresources@mannaonmain.org or 215-855-5454, ext 15.