Blue Table Community Toolkit

Blue Table exists through the generous support of the UB and Buffalo community.  Donated food and funds sustain Blue Table and help keep students healthy and safe.

A food drive has one focus: collecting non-perishable food for Blue Table.  Blue Table has a specific inventory of healthy food options and food drives should support that inventory.

Whether you are working with a specific population of students, faculty or staff, within an office or department, or within the Buffalo community, food drives can bring a group or team together to support students.

Donations are incredibly important - whether they are donated food items or funds.  Hosting a food drive is a fun and easy way to engage members of your UB community. 

• Establish a team or committee to organize your drive.  It is helpful to designate one person that will coordinate with Blue Table.
• Determine a time frame.  Most food drives are successful when they run for 1-2 weeks.
• Promote the drive to your community.  E-mails, flyers, posters, and social media are successful marketing approaches.  Need a jumpstart?  Use a Blue Table branded flyer template.
• Utilize the Healthy Food Wish List.  Blue Table offers only these specific food items and only these items should be collected during a drive.
• Obtain sturdy boxes or bins and establish a drop-off location.  Contact Blue Table to coordinate how and when you will deliver your collections.  Collecting food in a visible, highly-trafficked space helps raise awareness of Blue Table!

Looking to host a food drive? Contact Student Unions at 716-645-2055.

Blue Table offers the following healthy food options.  Only these food items should be collected during food drives.

• Fruits & Vegetables: fruit (canned/cups), vegetables, (canned), soup/stew/chili
• Grains: pasta, rice or quinoa, rice noodles, cereal, granola bars, crackers
• Proteins: beans/lentils (canned/dry), nuts, peanut butter, chicken (canned/pouch), tuna (canned/pouch)
• Mixes/Instant Meals: macaroni and cheese, pasta/ravioli (canned), oatmeal
• Sauces: tomato sauce