by Cicely Richard

Created on: August 17, 2008

Food and clothing drives often help organizations that don't get enough supplies to equal the needs of the community. At various times of the year, local organizations make pleas for extra supplies from individuals and companies in the area. Many businesses organize food and clothing drives a part of their community service. In order to conduct a successful drive, there are a few things you need to know.

First of all, find out when local organizations need the most supplies. Once the peak time of year is determined, find out what supplies should be given. For example, for a food drive, find out if the local food bank is short of particular dried good to narrow down the type of contributions needed. Usually, clothing drives occur during the winter or at the beginning of the school year, so aim for these peak times. Once part of the process is completed, the interoffice aspect of the drive can be completed.

In order to have a successful drive at a business, employees need an incentive in order to participate wholeheartedly. Some businesses just set up receptacles around the office and expect people to generously contribute. At the end of the drive, the boxes are still practically empty. While many people will donate goods, some people need to feel as if they are working toward something. Make the drive like a sporting event. Break the employees down into teams of two to four, each with a designated container for their goods.

At the end of the food and clothing drive, calculate the goods donated by each team and see which one made the most contributions. Whichever team donates the most foods and clothing during the duration of the drive wins some kind of prize for their effort. The prize doesn't have to be expensive, maybe something such as gift certificates to a local store or a restaurant.

Another way to organize a food or clothing drive is to set an overall goal for the office. It can be done in the style of a pledge drive, with a chart to mark how many contributions have been given by the office. When individuals see their results, this helps them feel impelled to succeed. If the office goal is met, everyone in the office receives something to commemorate the success. Maybe at the end of the drive, the office can have a celebratory dinner.

Although giving to the community is a good thing for all of us to do, humans are generally goal-oriented creatures. Moreover, some people need something to work toward in order to make a food or clothing drive successful.

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