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Host a Food Drive

Bring Your Community Together to Fight Hunger in Alaska
Food drives are a powerful way to bring people together and provide essential nourishment to Alaskans experiencing food insecurity.

Whether you’re organizing a drive with your school, workplace, faith group, or neighborhood, your efforts help keep Food Bank of Alaska’s shelves stocked with high-demand, nutritious foods.

Hunger doesn’t take a break. While food drives matter year-round, spring and summer are critical times when donations slow down.

How to Host a Successful Food Drive Event

Below, you'll find five key steps to ensure your food drive is a success!

Two men standing in the Food Bank warehouse next to 2 large bins of donations on top of a dolly.

Step 1

Plan Your Food Drive

Most Needed Items:

  • Canned proteins (tuna, chicken, salmon)

  • Peanut butter

  • Canned fruits & vegetables

  • Whole-grain pasta, rice, and cereal

  • Shelf-stable milk

Please note, Food Bank of Alaska only accepts non-perishable items through food drives.

Download our healthy donations list
Eleven red barrels full of food in the warehouse of Food Bank of Alaska

Step 2

Register Your Drive

Registering your food drive helps us provide support and ensure we can meet the needs of the community.

Benefits of Registering:

  • Get access to branded food drive barrels (please indicate how many you need)
  • Receive promotional materials and resources to maximize your impact
  • Get help from our team with tips for a successful drive
Please note: for larger food drives, Food Bank of Alaska may be able to assist with dropping off and picking up barrels and donations.
Register now
Employees at RDC with their red barrel and food drive sign

Step 3

Promote Your Drive

Let your community know how they can participate! Use our ready-to-go promotional materials to spread the word.

Ideas to Boost Engagement:

✔️ Set a goal – challenge your team to collect a set number of meals or pounds of food
✔️ Use social media to share updates and encourage participation
✔️ Offer a prize or recognition for the biggest contributors

Download our food drive toolkit
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Step 4

Collect Donations & Encourage Monetary Gifts

Every 1.2 pounds of food = 1 meal for a neighbor in need.

Monetary donations go even further—just $5 helps distribute 10 meals through our statewide network. Encourage both food and financial contributions!

Request a virtual fundraiser
Amazon helping folks unload canned goods from the back of their vehicle

Step 5

Deliver Your Donations

Once your food drive is complete, bring your donations to Food Bank of Alaska’s Warehouse.
  • When you arrive, call us at 907-272-3663 or come inside, and we'll direct you to the best door for unloading
  • Our warehouse team will unload your donations for you
  • We'll weigh your food drive to measure your impact and celebrate your generosity
  • Snap a photo with your donation—perfect for social media (tag us so we can share the love) or let us post it for you
  • You'll receive a special acknowledgment letter in the mail to recognize your contribution

📢 Dropping off your donations in person helps maximize your impact by allowing us to distribute food faster. If you're unable to deliver, give us a call.

📞 Call Now

Drop Off Information

Main Location
📍2192 Viking Dr , Anchorage, AK 99501

Hours
Monday-Friday: 8am-4pm

Contact
Leo Artola
Food Donation Coordinator
907-222-3122

Email Us
fooddrive@foodbankofalaska.org

Food Bank of Alaska circlular sticker with the words Advocate, Volunteer, Donate, Fighting Hunger sine 1979 and Feeding Alaskans Together. Food banks brand mark of a piece of bread and tilted heart are in the center.

Feeding Alaska

Help Us Meet Our Goal

Organizing a food drive is more than collecting cans—it’s about bringing hope, dignity, and nourishment to Alaskans facing hunger. Your generosity fuels our mission to create a hunger-free Alaska.

Thank you for taking action! 🤎

Raised

3,678 lbs

Goal

250,000 lbs

Ready to get started?

Register Your Food Drive

YOU MAY NEED TO KNOW

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to the food after I drop it off?

Our dedicated sort room volunteers carefully organize donations. Some foods are set aside for specific agency partners across the state based on client feedback. The rest is made available on our agency shopping shelves for our partners to pick up.

What happens to expired food?

Expired food that is no longer safe for human consumption is sent to local pig farms, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.

Why should I host a food drive for Food Bank of Alaska instead of another local nonprofit?

By hosting a food drive for Food Bank of Alaska, you’re helping us efficiently sort, distribute, and share food with over 150 agency partners statewide.

  • We have dedicated volunteers and warehouse space to ensure food is sorted and distributed quickly
  • Our statewide network ensures food reaches the communities that need it most
  • We encourage you to support our partners as well—we work together to fight hunger across Alaska
How do I get a red food drive barrel?

Register your food drive, and let us know how many barrels you need. You’ll pick up and return them along with your collected donations.

Can I collect perishable items?
No, we can only accept non-perishable items for food drives. For fresh food donations, please contact us directly.
Can Food Bank of Alaska pick up my food drive donations?

For most food drives, we ask that you deliver donations to our warehouse. However, for larger food drives, Food Bank of Alaska may be able to assist with dropping off and picking up barrels and donations. Please contact us in advance to discuss logistics and availability.

Can I raise money instead of collecting food?

Yes! Monetary donations are incredibly impactful. Every $1 helps provide 2 meals. You can set up a fundraising page to rally support.

Start a fund drive

Leo Artola

Have Questions?

Let’s Chat!

Contact our Food Donation Coordinator, Leo Artola at: