Have a Healthy Food Drive

Nourish Your Neighbor Initiative:

Today in Jefferson County, 1 in 7 people are food insecure. Those who need help putting food on the table are more likely than others to also struggle with type II diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. These health conditions are directly affected by the food we eat. In fact, the same people in need of food assistance simultaneously struggle with conditions associated with overeating as a result of being overfed, yet undernourished. Highly processed convenience foods, like those frequently in emergency food boxes, are loaded with calories and stripped of nutrients. To assist with these efforts, this initiative encourages organizations that routinely take up the cause to collect canned goods and other non-perishable items to distribute to local food pantries and school backpack programs to request and promote healthy food donations that will help recipients maintain nutritious, balanced diets while still ensuring that the items requested are easy to collect, store, distribute, and use.

Nourish Your Neighbor adheres to the following guidelines:

• Promotion of nutrient-dense, non-perishable foods that fall within the current guidelines recommended by the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Examples of these guidelines include:
  • Items with no added sugar.
  • Low-sodium items.
  • Lean protein low in saturated fats.
  • Whole grains.
  • Items rich in naturally-occurring vitamins and nutrients.
  • Foods that contain no trans fats.
• Promotion of pantry staples that will assist families in preparing more meals at home as opposed to relying on convenience foods. Examples include:
  • Low-sodium broths or stocks.
  • Dried herbs and spices. 
  • Mon or poly unsaturated cooking oils.
  • Low-sodium and low-sugar condiments.

The AHH Community Coalition will provide:

• Resources, education, and additional information to assist with implementation of healthy food drives. 
• Assistance with drafting or developing guidelines or policy to support the collection and promotion of healthy food drive items. 
• Recognition and promotion of your food drive as a Nourish Your Neighbor Initiative through social and traditional media.

Organizations wishing to implement this initiative will:

• Request and promote healthy food donations that will help recipients maintain healthy, balanced diets. 
• Provide examples of healthy, non-perishable items that donors can drop off.

More Tools and Resources:

• Nourish Your Neighbor in our Community
• Choose My Plate Shopping List
• Superfood Drives Tool Kit
• Feeding America Hunger and Health
• USDA Choose My Plate

Last updated July 31, 2019