Run a food drive for the ASRC Foodbank
When you run a food drive for the ASRC Foodbank, you’ll make a difference to people seeking asylum by providing one of the most basic human rights, food.
Run a food drive for the ASRC Foodbank
When you run a food drive for the ASRC Foodbank, you’ll make a difference to people seeking asylum by providing one of the most basic human rights, food.
ASRC Foodbank currently provides free groceries to around 1000 people, including children, every week, most of whom have no income and no work rights. Every donation makes a difference.
Why run a food drive?
Food is one of the most immediate and tangible ways to give someone a hand up.
When you donate food, you can:
- unite your staff, students, community group or neighbours around a common cause. Stand together with refugees!
- be confident your donation goes directly to vulnerable people. More than 80% of the people we support have no income. The ASRC Foodbank is their only pathway to food security and person hygiene items.
- raise awareness about hunger in the community and encourage others to take action
- make a big impact with minimal expense.
Need help getting started?
How to run a food drive
Learn how to run your own food drive, from how to choose your drop-off location to how to deliver your donations to the ASRC
Foods we need
.Find out what are the top 10 most needed items to make a difference to people seeking asylum
Tips and Resources
Access a number of items and ideas to help you promote your Food Drive
Getting started
How to run a food drive
When?
Decide on a start and finish date. The shorter the time span for your food drive, the easier it will be to keep people engaged.
Where?
Choose a drop-off location for the food. If your food drive is at a school, in an office or community centre, choose a drop-off location that is easy to access and highly visible, and provide a large container labelled with the food list.
If you are holding a drive within your local neighbourhood, a protected front porch in a dog-free front yard can be used as a contactless ‘any time’ donation point.
Drop-off?
Once your food drive is finished, please contact us to deliver the food to us. We have limited transport resources, and are generally unable to collect.
Get in touch with us at donatefood@asrc.org.au or (03) 9326 6066 to arrange a virtual or in-person presentation at your school, business, or place of worship.
What foods should we collect?
The food we distribute through our Foodbank is healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate for our member cohort. To ensure your food donation has maximum impact for people seeking asylum, we have prepared a list of food and household essentials that we always need.
Foods we need:
- Tuna in oil – 400g
- Tinned tomatoes – 400g
- Honey – small bottles
- Raw unsalted nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews
- Spices – small packs cumin, turmeric, chilli
- Coconut cream
- Sweet and savoury biscuits
- Dried fruit – apricots, dates
- Peanut butter
- Jam
- Full cream UHT milk – 1 litre
- Deodorant
- Disposable razors
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Laundry powder – max 1kg
- Dishwashing liquid – 1 litre
Items to avoid:
We cannot accept food that is past its use-by or best-before date, or with damaged or open packaging.
Some foods and hygiene products are not familiar or culturally acceptable to the people we support. We are unable to distribute the following items through our Foodbank:
- Baked beans and tinned spaghetti
- Canned or packet soups
- Highly processed, ready-made meals such as packaged mac and cheese
- Sweets, soft drinks and chips
- Sauces and other condiments
- Tampons
Please note: Email donatefood@asrc.org.au or call (03) 9326 6066 and ask for the Food Donations Coordinator. We can create a personalised flyer for you, and let you know if there are particular food or grocery items we need urgently.
Want to run a Food Drive?
Resources to Promote your Food Drive
Below you will find a number of items and ideas to promote your Food Drive. If you need any advice, please contact us via email donatefood@asrc.org.au or call (03) 9326 6066 and ask for the Food Donations Coordinator.
Communicate to your participants through social media, newsletters and flyers. Promotion is most effective when it is close to the start date of the food drive. If your food drive runs over several days or weeks, remind your community with social media posts and other prompts throughout the duration. We have prepared some resources to help you.
Ideas for success
Make it a competition
A little competition helps raise the stakes. Set a goal for your school or office and have different classes or departments compete to see who collects the most food. Offer an incentive such as a pizza and movies afternoon for the winning team or classroom.
Create a theme
Your food drive can be themed around a season eg Winter Warmers or religious events such as Christmas or Rosh Hashanah. This connection will help keep your food drive relevant, and at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Build a connection to the cause
Give donors a fact sheet that includes some background information on people seeking asylum who live in our communities, and the work and purpose of the ASRC. Informing your participants helps to connect them with the cause.
Your Impact (case study)
Ready to run your Food Drive?
Questions? Email donatefood@asrc.org.au or call (03)9326 6066 and ask for the Food Donations Coordinator.
Connect with us
Need help from the ASRC? Call 03 9326 6066 (Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm) to book an appointment.