Food Collection Guidance
Collect food. Share hope. Strengthen your community.
Organising a food collection for Llanelli Foodbank is a powerful and practical way to support local individuals and families facing food insecurity. By gathering donations from friends, family, colleagues, or your wider community, you’re helping us provide nutritious meals and essential supplies to those in need.
Whether you're part of a school, business, church, or community group, hosting a food collection is simple—and every item collected helps us care for someone going through a difficult time.
Here’s how you can get started:
Step 1: Plan Your Food Collection
Choose Your Collection Location
Think about where your food collection will take place. It could be at your workplace, school, church, community centre, or even at a local event. Choose a spot that’s easy to access, visible, and encourages participation.
Set a Date and Duration
Decide whether your collection will be a one-day event or run over a period - such as a week or month. You might want to link it with seasonal moments like harvest, Christmas, or winter when demand is higher and food support is most needed.
Identify What’s Needed
We can provide you with an up-to-date list of the most-needed items to ensure your collection has the greatest impact. These typically include:
Non-perishables: Tinned veg, beans, soup, pasta, rice, cereal
Toiletries: Toothpaste, soap, sanitary products, nappies
Fresh items: Accepted with prior arrangement
Contact us and we’ll guide you through everything you need to run a successful, meaningful collection.
Together, we can make sure no one in our community goes without.
Step 2: Promote Your Food Collection
Let People Know
The more people who hear about your collection, the greater the impact! Use posters, flyers, social media, emails, newsletters, and good old-fashioned word of mouth to promote your food drive. Don’t forget to include the key details - where, when, and what to bring.
You could even create an online event page or group to keep everyone updated and make it easy to share with friends and colleagues.
Set Up Donation Points
Make donating simple by placing clearly labelled donation boxes or baskets in high-traffic areas (offices, reception areas, staff rooms, church halls, or school entrances). We can provide signage and info cards to help highlight that donations are supporting Llanelli Foodbank and outline what’s needed.
Encourage Local Involvement
Invite local businesses, schools, or community groups to get on board. A shop might add a basket near the till. A school could run a themed day or host a launch assembly. Every little effort adds up, and it’s a great way to bring people together for a shared cause.
👉 Need support or resources? Get in touch - we’re here to help make your food collection a success!
Together, we can bring warmth, dignity, and practical help to families across Llanelli.
Step 3: Collect, Deliver, and Celebrate
Gather Donations
During your collection period, keep an eye on your donation points to ensure they stay neat, clearly labelled, and well-stocked. If your collection runs over several days or weeks, you may want to regularly move items to a safe storage spot until the final collection day.
Sort & Deliver
Once your collection is complete, sort through the items and pack them securely for transport. Then get in touch with us to arrange a drop-off at one of our Community Life Hubs. From there, we’ll ensure the food and essentials are quickly distributed to individuals and families who need them most.
Celebrate & Share
You’ve made a difference - let people know! Thank everyone who took part, and share photos or updates from your collection online. Whether it’s a workplace, school, church, or group effort, celebrating your success helps raise awareness and encourages others to get involved too.
Need help with drop-off or publicity? Contact us - we are here to support every step of the way.
Ideas for Food Collection Events
Themed Food Collection
Organise a themed collection, such as "Breakfast Food Collection," where participants are asked to donate cereals, porridge, and breakfast items, or a "Winter Warmer Collection" focused on soups, stews, and canned goods to provide warmth and comfort.
Charity Events
Host a community event, such as a charity concert, bake sale, or quiz night, where the entry fee is a donation of food or essential items for the food project.
Holiday Collections
Around Christmas, Easter, or other holidays, encourage people to give back by organising a festive food collection to provide families in need with holiday meals and treats.
Workplace Collections
Encourage your colleagues to bring in food donations over the course of a week or a month. Many companies are happy to support these efforts by promoting the initiative internally and allowing a designated drop-off area for contributions.
Why Your Food Collection Matters
Supporting Those in Crisis
By organising a food collection, you help ensure that individuals and families struggling with food insecurity can access essential supplies. This is particularly important during times of heightened need, such as the winter months or when economic pressures are especially severe.
Strengthening the Community
Food collections bring people together to support a common cause, creating a sense of solidarity and compassion within the community. Every can, packet, and item collected represents care and kindness from one neighbour to another.
Building Awareness
Food collections not only gather supplies but also raise awareness of food insecurity and poverty in Llanelli. By participating in or organising a collection, you help shine a light on these issues and mobilise people to take action.
Get Started Today!
Organising a food collection for Llanelli Foodbank is a simple but powerful way to make a real difference. Every item donated helps us support local individuals and families facing tough times - with food, dignity, and hope.
Whether you're part of a school, workplace, church, or community group, your effort helps ensure no one in Llanelli has to go without the basics they need.
Contact us today for guidance, resources, and support to get your food drive up and running.
Together, we can make sure no one in our community goes hungry.