A group of individuals with name tags seem to be volunteering at a food drive, with one person holding a bag labeled

Host a Food/Fund Drive

A person in a black polo shirt is smiling and pointing at a sign on a wooden pole next to another individual wearing a medal.

You can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors today!

Fund drives, accompanied by a food drive, can be a great way to supply food resources to our neighbors in need! Virtual drives allow Dare to Care to raise critical funds to purchase needed items and leverage our purchasing power to get the most from each dollar. While food drives can be a marvelous way of introducing people to the cause of ending hunger, we need to prioritize ways of giving that will have the greatest impact on our neighbors experiencing hunger. This is why we strongly recommend individuals and groups interested in making a difference host a fund drive.

We are incredibly grateful to the members of our community who have come together for many years to fight hunger with food drives. To truly meet the need of our community we know this will take more than food drives including funds and advocacy for our neighbors. Questions regarding food or fund drives, please contact Avery Werner at avery.werner@daretocare.org

Click here to start a drive today!

Food/Fund Drive FAQS

Why is Dare to Care prioritizing fund drives?

Hunger is caused not by a lack of food, but by a lack of access. To truly address hunger in our community, it will take more than just food. Fund drives support the range of programs and advocacy we undertake to end hunger today and for good —including food sourcing and redistribution to advocacy, education and more.

Well isn’t food still important?

Yes, food is a key part of our operation and very important! However, fund drives and financial donations allow us to leverage our purchasing power to make each dollar donated go further — we can purchase food in large quantities and include food that is most needed in our communities, including culturally appropriate and nutritious foods.

How does it make sense for a food bank to not accept food donations?

We source and redistribute over 20 million pounds of food annually — a lot of that comes from private donors in food manufacturing, retail, agriculture and other food-related industries. We have staff with expertise in food safety, compliance and the products our partners require to address the needs of our community. These colleagues focus on securing food donations by the truckload. In this way, we’re able to provide nourishing food to hundreds of thousands of families across our community.

If I choose to do a food drive, when can I drop off my donation?

Please drop off between 12:30pm – 2:30pm Monday- Thursday. We are closed from lunch between 12-12:30pm.

Do we have to pick up our own boxes?

You can collect food items in your own boxes or pick up Dare to Care boxes at our main warehouse on Fern Valley Road between 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Boxes should be durable and a reasonable size so we can sort the donated food when delivered to our Dare to Care distribution center.

What are the most needed items?

To make sure that your food drive provides the most nutritious food possible, our Nutrition Services Department recommends that you apply these guidelines:

  • Use the MyPlate nutrition guide to select nutritious, nonperishable foods. These items are most useful to our member agencies in meeting the nutritional needs of their clients.
  • For the safety of those we serve, we do not accept opened items, items with expired dates and homemade items.
  • Please view our Most Needed Items list.
How do I get my tax donation receipt for my monetary donation?

Individuals who donate online will receive an automated receipt via email. Individuals who send monetary donations to Dare to Care Food Bank will receive a receipt by mail.

Where do my donations go?

Your donations will make a great impact. Their first stop is in our warehouse where we sort, inspect and clean the items donated. Next, donations are packaged for distribution and will help ensure children, families and seniors in our community have the food they need.

Can I donate glass?

Please do NOT donate glass items.

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