Food and Household Donations

What works best for Leeds Outreach and our clients?

Our food distribution has changed from a weekly, individual, in-person panty shopping visit to a drive-thru “generic food box” for our clients. We currently distribute 70 to 80 boxes of food each week (by appointment). This means that for us to supply an item (canned ham for example), we need 80 hams. As we call it, "the rule of 80".

Food Bank Purchases

Purchases from Community Food Bank of Central Alabama are the most cost-efficient method of purchasing food by Outreach. So when supply at the Food Bank is available, monetary donations benefit us the most. Our cost for food is less than $0.18/pound.

Targeted and coordinated Food Drives

This type of drive targets 3 or 4 items for collection. By asking for specific items, we can get quantities necessary for weekly distribution so we don't come up short.

Household and Personal Care Items Drive

Donations Needed

Leeds Outreach's New Year's resolution is to better serve our clients. We are blessed to be able to buy most of the food we need for less than $0.20 per pound.

If your neighborhood or group are considering donating food, please reconsider and donate household supplies, personal care items or money.

We are a 501c3 non-profit organization so your donations are tax-deductible.

Check out the About page on our website to get to know us better. You may donate money and our shoppers will make the most-needed purchases.

Conducting a LO Food or Household Items Drive

If your neighborhood or business is interested in conducting a drive, please contact us to coordinate.

FOOD DRIVE TIPS AND ORGANIZATION

• Coordinate dates and items needed with Leeds Outreach. We have limited shelf space for food.
• Find volunteers in your neighborhood to help you.
• Set a goal.
• Communicate with your neighbors via email, Facebook or other social networks.
• Distribute flyers.
• Use yard signs to announce the drive.
• Decide how you want to collect food.
• Single-site drop off: You ask people to bring food donations to one location during set hours on a specific day. Volunteers stay at the collection site.
• Extended food drive: You set up multiple collection points with drop boxes where people can leave food over the course of multiple days or weeks.
• Volunteers collect the donations once per day.

Why are food donations so important now?

With increased demand and food supply chain issues, we can’t always purchase food from the Community Food Bank - Of Central Alabama - feedingal.org.

Donations are even more important to us now than ever.

Drop Off for Donations

How and when to get your donations to us

DROP OFF FOOD DONATIONS

• Bring items TO THE REAR of the Leeds Civic Center
  • Tuesdays 8 AM - 9 AM
  • Wednesdays 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM.
• No one can enter the building as the Civic Center is currently closed to the public. Only essential workers are allowed to enter.
• Leave items on tables located outside the building.
• Please do not place items on the ground.
• If you would like a tax receipt for your donation, please leave a note.
• We apologize for the limited hours of food donation.

We are exploring a Saturday morning drop-off and/or a Tuesday late afternoon for those individuals unable to make in-person donations during the work week. Please check back for updates on any changes.

BY APPOINTMENT primarily for LARGE GROUP donations.

Please email, if you have questions to Leedsoutreach@gmail.com.

Leeds Outreach is located at Leeds Civic Center - 1000 Park Drive, Leeds.

Donations by individuals ONLINE or IN PERSON are welcome

Drop Off Food or Personal Care Item Donations

How and When to Get Your Donations to Us

For food, household supplies and personal care item donations, you may bring items TO THE REAR of Leeds Civic Center:

• Monday, Tuesdays or Thursdays 9AM - 11 :30 AM.
• Wednesday 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM.
• We apologize for the limited hours.

ONLINE

• You can SHIP YOUR DONATIONS.
• Send us a copy of your invoice and we will provide you with a statement at year-end for your tax purposes.

Once a Month Saturday Drop-Off

We have a once-monthly Saturday morning drop-off for those individuals unable to make in-person donations during the work week. Donations may be made in person every 4th Saturday of the Month.

By Appointment

BY APPOINTMENT primarily for LARGE GROUP donations.

Please call, text or email if you have questions.

If you wish to make a monetary donation instead, click here for more information.