Supporting neighbors in need can be as simple as donating a case of peanut butter, fresh vegetables from your garden, or hygiene products. If you have a knack for gathering people around a cause, you might consider leading a donation drive. At IFCS, in-kind donations from individuals, schools, businesses, faith communities, service and community groups, all help provide critical support to families facing hunger and hardship.
While monetary donations remain the most effective and flexible way to help IFCS respond quickly to community needs, donations of food, fresh produce, and hygiene items are other meaningful ways the community partners with IFCS to nourish lives, and they are crucial to our mission of showing caring for those most in need.
What In-Kind Donations Does IFCS Accept?
IFCS welcomes donations of:
- Shelf-stable food items – these are helpful to have on hand when our shelves of fresh produce, and fresh or frozen options are running low. Please check expiration dates prior to donation: IFCS does not distribute food with an expiration greater than 6 months.
- Fresh garden produce – a wonderful way for local growers and home gardeners to share extra fruits and vegetables with neighbors in need, providing healthy and nutritious options that are often inaccessible due to their cost.
- Diapers and hygiene products – these items are not covered by SNAP and are in high demand for families struggling to make ends meet.
- Please DO NOT donate any unsealed or used products.
Hosting a Food or Hygiene Drive
If you’re looking for a meaningful way to give back as a group, we encourage community members to organize donation drives through:
- Neighborhoods
- Companies and workplaces
- Schools
- Service organizations
- Faith communities
- Clubs and community groups
We’ve prepared kits to make it easy to coordinate a drive:
- One Can Feed (Bulk) Food Drive: Organize a traditional food drive collecting larger quantities of shelf-stable food items for families in need.
- On-the-Go Meal (Shelf-Stable, No-Cook) Food Drive: Help provide convenient, ready-to-eat meal items for individuals who may not have access to cooking facilities.
- Hygiene Products Drive: Collect essential hygiene supplies that are often difficult for families to afford but are vital for everyday well-being.
Our blog entry, “A Taste of Hope from Bethany Lutheran Church,” highlights this faith community’s long-standing partnership with IFCS through volunteering, financial support, and food donations. Inspired by volunteering at The Market @ IFCS, church members helped organize a summer food drive that collected nearly 1,900 pounds of food, including cereal, peanut butter, jelly, and crackers. Community partnerships such as this help keep shelves stocked at the Market @ IFCS and show how together, we make a difference.
Donation Drop-Off Hours
IFCS accepts donations during the week at the following times:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
- 8:30–11:00 a.m.
- 1:00–2:30 p.m.
These donation windows allow staff and volunteers to safely receive, sort, and distribute items while continuing to serve participants throughout the day.
Weekend Donations by Appointment Only
IFCS may be able to accommodate weekend drop-offs for larger donations, but we ask that these be scheduled in advance.
Weekend appointments are typically reserved for substantial donations, such as:
- Large community drives
- Business donations
- Multiple vehicle or truckload deliveries
For example, if your organization is delivering several truckloads of donated items, IFCS can work with you to coordinate a weekend drop-off.
Please Plan Ahead Before Dropping Off Large Donations
To help IFCS prepare for incoming donations and coordinate staffing or volunteer support, please contact us in advance, using our online Host a Drive form to help us prepare for your delivery.
What to Expect at Drop-Off
When you arrive at IFCS, bring your donation to the main Market entrance.
- Ensure your donation is accepted by a volunteer or staff member. (Food left outside for an unknown amount of time will be disposed of for safety reasons. This allows us to avoid distributing food that may have frozen, overheated, or become infested.)
- When you enter the Market, a volunteer will greet you and offer to help load your donation into a grocery cart. If it is a larger donation, we may fill a pallet.
- You will be asked to fill out a log, recording your name, email (if a new donor), and what categories of items were donated.
- The assisting volunteer will record the weight into the log and prepare your donation for sorting. This completed log allows us to track how many pounds of in-kind donations we receive, attributing each drop off to its respective donor.
- The donation drop-off is smooth and efficient and usually takes under 15 minutes. Please allow more time for very large donations.
Amazon Purchases: Another Way to Fill Market Shelves
If you’d like to donate in a way that directly reaches the shoppers in our market, without requiring a drop-off, we created an Amazon wishlist. Purchase of these most-needed items plays a crucial role in keeping our shelves stocked with products that are in high demand. If you have an Amazon account, this is a great, stream-lined way to ship contributions directly to IFCS year-round.
Every Donation Helps
Whether you’re donating a box of canned goods or a truckload of fruit juice, fresh produce from your garden or three vans full of shelf-stable foods from a community drive, your support is a partnership with IFCS. Together, we are serving local households and helping build a stronger community.
To learn more about the community’s partnership with IFCS, WATCH THIS VIDEO.
