Major Annual Food Drive Events

Learn about the Major Annual Food Drive Events that help Gleaners serve our community!

Weekends in January: Kroger Food Drive

Every year, Gleaners partners with Kroger to host food drives in stores across Southeastern Michigan. This food drive comes at a critical time, when many of our partner agencies struggle to keep stock on their shelves for kids, families, seniors and veterans experiencing tough times.
How to get involved: Check our Events calendar in December for details on when your local Kroger will be holding its food drive. Volunteers will be ready 10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday to accept your food and monetary donations.

Second Saturday in May: National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger

Since 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) has conducted an annual nationwide food drive on the second Saturday in May. Using the unparalleled postal networks, letter carriers collect non-perishable food donations on that day as they deliver mail along their postal routes. Gleaners is honored to receive donations from many post office branches throughout Southeastern Michigan. Since 2010, Gleaners and our neighboring agencies have received over 12 million pounds of food to help feed our hungry neighbors.
How to get involved: Our amazing letter carriers make it easy! The week before the second Saturday in May, they'll deliver a plastic bag with instructions on how to donate. Leave the bagged donations on your porch the morning of the second Saturday and they'll make sure it gets to our neighbors in need. For more information visit our Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive event page.

End of May through early June: Children’s Hospital Cereal Drive

Over the last 14 years, Gleaners has partnered with the Children’s Hospital of Michigan to raise over 13.5 million servings of cereal. Community groups, schools, and businesses work together to fill school buses and trucks with cereal to feed kids as they head into summer vacation.
How to get involved: If you, your school, church, community group or business are interested in participating, we have a variety of different ways you can donate cereal either in person or virtually. Contact us here or email communitygiving@gcfb.org anytime in the months leading up to the Cereal Drive to get started. For more information, visit the 2024 Children’s Hospital Cereal Drive event page.

Mid July through the end of August: Hunger-Free Summer Food Fight

Summer has always been a difficult time for children and families facing food insecurity - and the last few years of high grocery prices have added an additional strain. As a result, parents are struggling to afford the nutritious food their kids need to stay healthy this summer and prepare for a successful school year. Far too many are faced with a devastating question: “How will we eat?” The Hunger-Free Summer Food Fight is an annual food and fund drive competition in which organizations throughout Southeastern Michigan go head-to-head to raise the most meals.
How to get involved: If your business is interested in participating, contact us here or email communitygiving@gcfb.org in Spring or early Summer to learn more.

All school year long: Hunger Heroes School Food Drives

School food drives provide students with a great way to help their hungry neighbors and provide critically needed food for them. The three high schools that bring in the most pounds of food or dollars (based on student population) could win up to $2,500 ($1,500 for second place and $1,000 for third place) thanks to the Rick Young Insurance Mountain of Food Award! To help make collecting donations easier for busy teachers and students, Gleaners offers supplies, educational information about food insecurity in Southeastern Michigan, and donation pickups.
How to get involved: Contact us here or email communitygiving@gcfb.org to learn more. For more information, visit Gleaners School Food Drives.

Second Saturday in November: Boy Scouts of America–Great Lakes Field Service Council Scouting for Food

This event is the Boy Scouts of America’s largest service project of the year. If you receive a grocery bag with Scouting for Food information printed on it on your porch, please fill that bag (and others!) with non-perishable food items and leave it on your porch on the second Saturday of November by 9am. The Scouts will be collecting food starting at 9am until 2pm in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, and Wayne counties.
How to get involved: The week before the second Saturday in November, Boy Scout volunteers deliver a plastic bag that has instructions printed on it for how to donate. Simply leave the bagged donations on your porch the morning of the second Saturday and they'll make sure it gets to our neighbors in need. Visit our Scouting for Food events page to learn more.

On select dates throughout the year: Matching Gift Campaigns

Thanks to our generous partners, monetary donations made during fundraisers and virtual food drives are matched dollar-for-dollar on several days throughout the year, providing six meals for every $1 donated.
How to get involved: Email communitygiving@gcfb.org for a list of upcoming matching gift dates.