There’s something simple—and quietly powerful—about a community deciding to show up together.
A food and or gift card drive is one of the easiest ways for a business, church, school, or community group to come alongside our neighbors experiencing poverty and homelessness. It works during the holidays, and it works just as well any time of year—because the need for food, basic essentials, and daily stability doesn’t stick to a calendar.
At egm, we serve men, women, and children in 10 locations across Snohomish County, in Jesus’ name—without discrimination or religious requirements.
Why this matters
Food and gift cards help in really practical ways:
- food helps keep our kitchens stocked and meals consistent
- grocery and gift cards help us fill gaps quickly—especially when someone needs something specific, fast
- drives build shared ownership: people get to participate together, not just as individuals
It’s a tangible way to create more space for stability, dignity, and relationship—right here in our community.
How to run a drive (it’s simpler than you think)
Here’s a straightforward way to lead it well:
Pick your timeline
- a one-week sprint, a full month, or a seasonal push (holidays are great—but not required)
Choose your collection method
- bring items to one central location (lobby, breakroom, church foyer, school office)
- or invite people to give directly using egm’s list
Use egm’s list + qr code
- The poster includes a QR code where people can see needed items or give directly. Print it, post it, and share it digitally.
Celebrate participation
- keep it relational: share progress updates, thank people along the way, and remind your group what they’re part of
Who can host a drive
We love seeing drives led by:
- businesses (team challenge, department goal, customer-facing collection bin)
- churches (small groups, youth groups, women’s/men’s ministries)
- community groups (neighborhood associations, service clubs)
- schools (classroom competition, leadership projects)
If you can gather people, you can host a drive.
Ready to start?
Use one or more of the posters below to make it easy for your group to jump in:
Next step: print/share the poster(s) and choose your dates. That’s enough to get momentum going.
Once you’ve collected items, food can be dropped off at our Smith Campus anytime. Please mail or deliver gift cards to our Admin office. Thanks for partnering with us to alleviate poverty!