The Thanksgiving holiday is nearly upon us and unfortunately this year, due to COVID-related work shutdowns, more of our friends and neighbors might be going without food. As property managers, this is a great opportunity to show that we care about our tenants and help provide what might be needed for their Thanksgiving and beyond.

Collecting the Food
If you have access to an interior location that can serve as a food drop-off location, that is ideal. You can spread the drop-off time out over multiple days so that more people can take advantage of the chance to help their neighbors. If that is not a possibility, then we suggest setting up a tent or other highly visible location on your property so that people can find you. If the tent is near the vehicle you’re going to use to transport the food, so much the better. There will be less work loading the food.

While you’re promoting the drive, please insist and remind people that a food drive is not a chance to clean out your pantry of expired foods. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t expect someone else to. Ask for in-date supplies.
It also is a good idea to ask for not just food items, but for hygiene items such as soap, laundry detergent, diapers, toilet paper, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. Food is awesome, but we want to help take care of the whole person.

Promote on Social Media and Interior Communication Methods
Promote the food drive heavily on your social media channels and on any interior communication methods you have (email, signage, app, etc.). Remember, you want to get the word out and collect as much food as possible. And while we want to do the food drive for the right reasons (to help our neighbors), it never hurts for people to see our company participating in service to our community.

Charity Partner
In our opinion, it’s best to partner with an established food distribution charity such as a food pantry or soup kitchen. No sense in re-inventing the wheel! If you’re having difficulty locating a food pantry, it’s likely that local churches or the department of social services (DSS) can point you in the right direction. They often get asked about local food resources and would very likely be able to help you find a reputable partner.
A food drive is a great opportunity for you to be able to show how much you care about your tenants and the people in your community. If you run a food drive, we’d love to see some pictures of your property in action. Send them to sales@moblz.com.