On our way to collecting 5,000 items in December 2006!

We started this as The Great Holiday Meetup Food Drive but heard from many of you that you are planning fundraisers, toy drives etc and we wanted to show the many ways Meetups are making a difference in their communities this holiday season!

If you're holding a food drive, toy drive, a fundraiser or any other charitable Meetup this Holiday Season, email us and we'll add you to the tally!

Participating Meetups: York Boston Terrier Meetup Group: Collected 63 items for The Susquehanna Stray Animal Shelter Boardgames NJ Meetup: Raised $150 for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey Gig Harbor North Tacoma Mom's Meetup: Collected 200 food items The Edmonton Vegetarian Meetup: Collected 32 items The Raleigh Area Couples Night Out Meetup: Collected 67 items for The Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC Carmel Stock Traders Meetup(Indianapolis, IN): Collected 50 food items, 15 clothing items and $800 for a needy family Eastside Domestic Divas: Raised $822 to purchase toys for the KGUN9 "stuff the bus" chairity drive Moms That Rock in Surprise, Az: Raised a $1,000 of gifts, clothes, shoes, toys, various items for an adopt-a-family (four girls and a single mom) in south Pnx. The Calgary Witches' Meetup: Collected 45 food items & $30 Canadian for the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank The Lexington/Thomasville Moms Group Meetup: Collected 106 cans Around The World In 80 Bites, Nibbles and Sips: Donating 38 items to the Oregon Food Bank The Cincy/NKY Dining Out Group: Raised 35 cans for a local freestore foodbank NYC German Language Meetup: Raised $300 for America's Second Harvest The Toronto Shiba Inu Meetup Group: held a raffle and raised $165 for Shiba Rescue GTA The Ottawa Coffee Lovers Meetup Group: gathered 10 toys for Toy Mountain, 50 cans of food for the Ottawa Food bank, and 10 hat, scarf & mitten sets for a local low income drop in center The New York City Backgammon Meetup Group: Collected 30 food items The Calgary Do Something New Meetup Group: Collect 56 food items Crude Awakening: Austin Oil Awareness Group: Collected 42 cans for the Capital Area Food Bank Boston Chihuahua Group: Raised $645 for MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center Boston Yorkshire Terriers: Raised $470 for MSPCA Boston Pug Group: Raised $365 for MSPCA Boston Little Yorkies: Raised $150 for MSPCA Boston Italian Greyhounds: Raised $145 for MSPCA Boston French Bulldogs: Raised $135 for MSPCA Boston Boston Terrier: Raised $100.00 for MSPCA Boston Middi-Mutts: Raised $20 for MSPCA Boston DoggieDay Play center: Raised $230 for MSPCA Chicago Knitters Unite: 10 food items and 6 knitted items The NYC Bookcrossing Meetup: collected 36 cans/boxes for City Harvest. The Tri-State Hiking Club: collected 63 cans/boxes of food The Northern Virginia Firefly/Serenity Meetup: Collected 19 food items and $40 for local food distribution centers The West Valley Chihuahua Meetup Group: Raised $600 in cash and needed items for the AZ Chihuahua Rescue The Ventura County Moms Group: Collected 105 food items NY Tech Meetup: 75 cans donated to Bowery Mission Howell/Brick Mommy and Me Meetups: 30 Children's gifts

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Why a Food Drive?

Last year over 25 million people were served by America's Second Harvest Network and over 9 million of them were children. Those are some pretty big numbers but, individual food drives really do make a difference providing nearly one-third of the food America's Second Harvest distributes annually.

Why not make your next Meetup a Food Drive? This could be a great reason to bring your members together to do something with impact! If you don't have time to arrange the collection & delivery of food items, most food banks gladly accept a cash contribution (we heard from Foodshare in the Hartford CT area that a $1 donation can actually provide 3 meals!).


We'll update totals raised here daily, just email us at organizer@meetup.com, send us a link to your event and tell us how many items (or $$) you raised!

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Food Drive Planning Basics

1. Contact your local food bank to find out what they need most and where to bring it.


2. Schedule your Meetup and invite all your members.


3. Be sure to figure out how you'll collect the food, will you need a barrel, bags, how will you transportation it etc.


4. Think about setting a goal for your Meetup on how much you'll raise together - that can really motivate more people to participate.


5. Consider providing some basic info on hunger issues to help educate your members


6. Be creative and have fun! Maybe try a special theme:
   "Spread the Cheer this time of year"
   "Tis the season for Giving"
   "Kwanza harvest display"
   "Kosher food Drive"
   "Feed a family of 4 for the day"
   "Pet food drive" just check with your local animal shelter

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Ready to get started?

1. Find a local food bank near you go to America's Second Harvest and enter your zip code:
   http://www.secondharvest.org/zip_code.jsp


2. Schedule your Meetup in invite your members

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Foods Most Needed

• Infant formula and baby food


• Pasta, rice, whole grain cereal


• Canned vegetables (like kale, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes


• Canned fruit (like peaches, pears, pineapple)


• Canned beans (like black, garbanzo, pinto, navy, lima)


• Canned protein foods (like tuna, salmon, chicken, beef)


• Canned/carton long shelf life milk products

The following donations will feed a family of four for a day:

• Breakfast: Box of cereal or oatmeal; dried fruit; powdered milk; 100% fruit juice.


• Lunch: Tuna, peanut butter, or soup; canned vegetables; canned fruit.


• Dinner: Any canned protein (i.e. beef stew, chicken), or meat sauce; macaroni & cheese, pasta or rice; canned fruit or applesauce.
  

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Did you know?

• In Arizona, 41% of people who receive emergency food are children and senior citizens.


• Nationally, only 12% of those seeking food assistance are homeless.


• In central Florida, 44% of the households seeking food assistance have at least one family member working full time.


• In 2005, over 25 million Americans sought food assistance from America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network.


• In Illinois, 1 in every 10 people living is food insecure -- meaning they don't know where their next meal will come from.