Annual Food Drives
- Ski For ECHO – Feb or March
- Boy Scouts Food Drive – March
- MN Food Share (Local events) – March
- Curves Mankato – March
- Stamp Out Hunger Postal Drive- May
- Pile It On For ECHO July, North Mankato Fun Days Parade
- North American Food Drive (Lambda Chi Alpha) – November
- Stuff A Truck – November
Food Drive Ideas
It can be helpful to consider your group, its makeup, and your goals when putting together a food drive. One model for a successful food drive would be to focus on something that is important to the group you are collecting food from.
- One high school class collected all Macaroni & Cheese, a teenage favorite!
- Another group put together Easter baskets each spring.
- Consider holding a Baby Shower where guests bring in baby food, diapers, and other baby items.
- Scavenger Hunt for Echo – divide groups into teams to canvas designated neighborhoods for food donations. Set a time limit and offer prizes for the most food collected or for special predetermined items.
Think about what is important to your group, or something they can relate to and give them the option to focus on this for the food drive.
Here are some promotional materials to get you started:
- Most Needed Items List
- ECHO Food Shelf brochure (available on request)
- Fundraising Ideas/Theme Info Sheet
- Local Media Info Sheet
WE can provide you with boxes and signs. Please call 507-345-7477
Churches
Many churches in the Blue Earth County and North Mankato area have collection boxes located in their buildings to collect food for ECHO. If your church doesn’t have a collection box, see if you can start one!
Churches with collection boxes:
| Belgrade Avenue United Methodist Church (BAUMC) 325 Sherman Street North Mankato, MN 56003 |
Bethlehem Lutheran Church 720 S 2nd St Mankato, MN 56001 |
| Cambria Presbyterian Church 123 Ash Street New Ulm, MN 56073 |
Epiphany Lutheran Church 600 Parkway Avenue Eagle Lake, MN 56024 |
| Grace Lutheran Church 320 E. Main Street Mankato, MN 56001 |
Hosanna Lutheran Church 105 Hosanna Drive Mankato, MN 56001 |
| Messiah Lutheran Church 1706 Lee Boulevard North Mankato MN 56003 |
Mt. Olive Lutheran Church and School 1123 Marsh Street Mankato, MN 56001 |
| St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 632 Broad St. St Mankato, MN 56001 |
St. John’s Episcopal Church 302 Warren Street Mankato, MN 56001 (2nd weekend of the month only) |
| Saint Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church 105 N 5th St Mankato, MN 56001 |