Heart Healthy Food Drive

Toolkit

S T O C K I N G H E A L T H Y P A N T R I E S

WHY HOST AHEALTHY FOODDRIVE?A lack of access to adequate, consistent andhealthy food contributes to negative healthoutcomes including chronic disease and poormental health. Healthy food serves as the basis ofcardiovascular health and eating healthy meals iseasier when families can afford, or have access toaffordable, nutritious foods.

By hosting a healthy food drive, you are empoweringcommunity leaders at your local food access organizationwith needed assets to provide the nutrition access ourneighbors need to live full, healthy lives. Food accessorganizations want more healthy options; it’s usually just amatter of not having access to high quality items. Whilefood access organizations serve as an important resource inour community, the food they receive as donations is oftenlow in nutritional value. A lack of access to the nutritionneeded to support optimal health makes it difficult for foodaccess organizations to support the health of shoppers andperpetuates inequities that contribute to negative healthoutcomes.

This toolkit will provide you with resources to hold a successful healthy food drive including a map of local foodaccess organizations, tips for communicating with them, materials to promote your event, a guide for meetingnutrition and cultural needs, and more.

If you need help along the way, feel free to reach out to your local AHA contact or through our general email atPuget.sound@heart.org, we are more than happy to answer your questions or provide you with additionalresources.

While supporting healthy food drives is an impactful way to support our community, The American HeartAssociation is committed to sustainable efforts to achieve equitable health and nutrition security for all, so thatultimately food drives are unnecessary. To learn more about our efforts to change policies and systems includingour commitment to health equity and access to healthy food, click here.

This toolkit is made possible by support from Swedish and Delta Dental of Washington, proud localsponsors supporting nutrition security in our community.

N U T R I T I O N S E C U R I T Y+ E Q U I T Y

Close to one million people inWashington receive SNAP food

assistance. Nearly 2 out of 3 arechildren, elderly and people with

disabilities.

Social and environmental factors such asunequal access to healthy and culturallyresponsive options and structural racismcontribute to and perpetuate food insecurity.

30%

A lack of consistent access to enoughfood for an active, healthy life.

0% 20% 40% 60%

Black Families

Hispanic Families

White Families

FOODFOODINSECURITYINSECURITY

During the pandemic, foodinsecurity has been

experienced by 30% of WAhouseholds and of those, 59%

had children.

These factors, compounded by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, have only emphasized the disparitiesthat exist between people of color and historicallymarginalized groups and their white neighbors.

DEFINITIONS AND STATS

268,000 kids in the Puget Soundare eligible for free or reduced-

price lunch.

268,000

1 MILLION

HEALTH IMPACTS OF FOOD INSECURITY

Inadequate intake of nutrients

Increased risk of chronic diseases

Increased risk of negative pregnancy outcomes

Long-term deficits in children's socioemotional, cognitive

and motor functioning

Increased risk for negative mental health impacts

DISPARITIES IN FOOD SECURITY

Food Insecurity by Race in Washington State: Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pre-pandemic

During pandemic31%

51%

21%

33%

16%

17%

Click the map for a comprehensive list of food access

organizations in Washington including food banks,

food pantries, community organizations and religious

organizations that are working to provide healthy food

to their community. Click on the pinpoints for location,

website and contact information and decide which

you would like to support. Before you start planning

your food drive, plan to have a conversation with a

member of the food access organization team.

CHOOSE ANORGANIZATION

PLANNING YOUR FOOD DRIVE

FOOD DRIVE TIMELINE

01 02 04 05

CHOOSE ANORGANIZATION

COMMUNICATE WITHORGANIZATION

PROMOTE YOURFOOD DRIVE

HOST YOUR FOODDRIVE

03

LEARN THE NEEDS OFTHE COMMUNITY

06

THANK DONORS ANDCOMMUNITY PARTNERS

Under the Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, your company is protected fromcriminal and civil liability when donating to a non-profit organization. This act allows you tosupport your community without worry of repercussions related to hosting a food drive anddonating healthy food to the organization of your choice.

COMPANY PROTECTION

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

BUILDCONNECTIONS

Food access organizations are central to the health andwellbeing of the community as they fill gaps in consistentaccess to healthy food. Connecting with the organizationprior to organizing your food drive is important to gaininformation about how best to support the community wherethey are located and to establish a relationship withmembers of the food access organization team. You can thenwork with them to understand the unique cultural and healthneeds of their shoppers.

Do you accept perishable or frozen items?

Are you able to accept direct delivery from retailers?

What guidelines can you share for the donations you accept?

Can you tell me about the community your organization serves?

What needs does your community have for foods relevant to their dominantcultures? Are there other special dietary requests that we can assist with?

Do you have a list of high-need items?

Are there any capacity or space limitations we should consider, i.e., shelfspace, freezer and refrigerator capacity?

What is your intake process like and how can we prepare our donations tomake it easier for your team?

GUIDING QUESTIONS

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.7.

ENCOURAGE HEALTHYDONATIONS

SODIUM

SATURATED FAT

HEALTHY DONATIONS+ WHY IT MATTERS

People who face food insecurity are at a higher risk

for chronic diseases like high blood pressure and

type II diabetes, due in part to the consumption of

unhealthy foods typically available through food

access organizations. Consistent access to

adequate nutrition increases everyone’s ability to

live a healthy and full life and can even reverse

chronic disease caused by the consumption of

unhealthy foods.

Healthy food serves as the basis of optimal

health and choosing healthy options is easier

when food access organizations distribute foods

that provide adequate nutrition.

WHY IT MATTERSHEALTH RISKS OF DIETS HIGH IN SATURATED FAT, SODIUM, ADDED SUGAR

DONATION SUGGESTIONS

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

When promoting your food drive, request that most of

the items donated have low saturated fat, sodium and

added sugar. These foods are the highest in nutrition

and lowest in the nutrients that are most dangerous in

contributing to chronic disease.

For more detailed guidance, click here (pg 13).

PROTEINSBEVERAGES

WHOLE GRAINS CANNED AND DRY GOODS

Water100% Fruit juice

Low-fat, powdered milk

Unsalted nutsNatural peanut butter

Canned meat, no added sodiumBeans, dried or no-sodium

Whole wheat pastaWhole wheat crackers

Whole grain cerealsWhole grain, natural granola bars

Brown rice

Canned vegetables, no added sodiumCanned fruit in 100% fruit juice

Natural applesauceSoups, low or no sodium

Dried fruit, no added sugarHealthier cooking oils (olive oil)

The number one source of added sugar in our diet isbeverages. Excess added sugar may cause oral

health problems, weight gain and more and is linkedto a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes,cancer and cognitive issues and more. Learn more.

ADDED SUGAR

Excess sodium puts you at risk for high bloodpressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke, cancer

and kidney disease. Learn more.

Consuming saturated fats raises the level ofcholesterol in your blood. High levels of LDL

cholesterol in your blood increase your risk of heartdisease and stroke. Learn more.

PROVIDE HEALTHY, CULTURALLYRESPONSIVE OPTIONS

Ensure that your food drive is collecting foodthat provides healthy and culturallyresponsive food options reflective of thecommunity the organization serves. It isimportant to provide culturally responsiveoptions so that the individual has access tofood they enjoy eating, have the knowledgeto prepare and doesn’t violate any dietary orreligious restrictions. When there is a lack ofculturally responsive, healthy food options,shoppers may defer to unhealthy,inexpensive options to alleviate hungerwhich further contributes to poor healthoutcomes.

You can discover how to best meet the needsof the community you are aiming to serve bytalking to the organization to ask about theirneeds, looking at community demographics,and engaging a diverse group of employeesin your outreach and collection.

EXPIRATION DATE GUIDANCEDid you know that FDA does not require food to have “sell by”, “best by” and “useby” dates printed on food products (except baby food)? These are arbitrary datesprinted on food items by the manufacturer based on expected handling andtemperature exposure.

Generally, food access organizations accept perishable food items past the “sell by”and “best by” dates as they are safe to eat. They do not however accept donatedfood that has passed its “use by” date. The exception is if the food past its “use by”date is frozen it may still be accepted

Collecting donations of food shortly past its “sell by” and “best by” helps to reducefood waste and provides food access organization shoppers with an increasedquantity of food that may be otherwise discarded. However, check with the site youare donating to first to ensure these items meet their guidelines.

BEST PRACTICES

In the Puget Sound area, several groups were asked about the items that theypreferred to receive at their food pantry. These suggestions may help if similar

populations are served at your chosen organization.

Northwest Harvest. Cultural Food Preferences | Growing Food Justice Across WA. https://www.northwestharvest.org/wp-content/uploads/cultural-food-preferences-sm.pdf. Accessed May 7, 2021.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Sharing information about your food drive is an effectiveand quick way to reach a lot of people. Share the newsabout your partnership with your local food accessorganization on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Click here for a customizable graphic to promote your fooddrive on social media. Simply add it with the date, timeand location of your food drive, save as a JPG and post.

Sample post: We’re holding a food drive with @NAMEOFFOODORG inpartnership with @americanheartWA. We’ll be collecting donations ofheart-healthy foods from {start/end dates} to help provide meals toour neighbors in need. To best serve our community, we are especiallylooking for X,Y,Z foods. All of the donations will be delivered to NAMEOF FOOD ORG. Hope we can count on your support!

PROMOTE YOURFOOD DRIVE

GET SOCIAL

Click here for a handy and easy to customize

flyer template to promote your food drive.

Update with details about your food drive

after speaking with the food access

organization. Share via email, LinkedIn, hang

around your office, on your website or in your

neighborhood.

SPREAD THE WORD

S H A R E

HOST YOURFOOD DRIVE

DAY OF TIPS

EXECUTE

Arrange a convenient spot to drop off fooddonations.Maintain social distancing and wear your mask(as applicable).Don’t forget your signage. Many people you maybe asking for donations don’t already know aboutyour food drive. Make sure you bring your flyer toadvertise your event and keep fast facts on handabout the food access organization you aresupporting.Bring sufficient boxes/storage to collect yourdonations.Arrange for transportation of all donations to thefood access organization.If you have access to a car with large cargo spaceor a truck with a bed, this will allow for the easiesttransportation. Coordinate with a member of the food accessorganization ahead of time to let them knowwhen you expect to drop off donations so theycan arrange staff support as needed.

TIE IT ALL TOGETHER

Take photos to capture your event, withsubjects’ permission, and share on socialmedia to encourage more people to donateand thank the community for their support.

Don’t forget to tag us @americanheartWA sowe can highlight your support!

Reminder, if you plan on sharing photosfrom your food drive with us with otherpeople in the photo, ensure that all subjectsin the photo have signed our photo releaseform so they are aware their photo may befeatured in various places including socialmedia or our website.

THANK YOUR VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS

Sample thank you email:Dear NAME,Thank you for supporting COMPANY NAME’S healthy food drive. With your help, our food drive provided Xnumber of items to the NAME OF FOOD ORG to support our neighbors facing hunger including non-perishable items, fresh produce and culturally responsive staples. We appreciate your support and couldn’thave made such a big impact on our community without your involvement. Together, we are working toincrease access to healthy food so everyone in our community can live long, healthy lives.