Frequently Asked Questions

Harvest for Hunger is an annual, 21-county food and fund drive and is one of the largest in the country. In 2018 Northeast Ohioans contributed enough food and funds to provide over 22 million meals. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank organizes the campaign in partnership with three other food banks in Northeast and North Central Ohio. The food and funds raised support food pantries, hot meal programs, and shelters throughout the region.

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank and its food bank partners use the dollars donated through the Harvest for Hunger campaign to make food available to local hunger centers and the clients they serve. Every dollar donated to Harvest for Hunger helps provide four nutritious meals to our community.

The funds that are raised in your community through the Harvest for Hunger benefit hunger centers served by your local food bank.

• 24% are children
• 16% are elderly
• 23% of households have at least one member in poor health
• 64% had to choose between paying for food or utilities

Food banks receive donations from food wholesalers, distributors, Feeding America, local food drives, and other sources, such as the United States Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Food Purchase Program. We also purchase food by the semi-load at reduced costs. Thanks to these donations and the hard work of more than 18,000 volunteers a year, every dollar goes a long way!

Click here to make a donation to Harvest for Hunger.

Your dollars go the furthest to help hungry people in our area. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank uses dollars donated through Harvest for Hunger to make food available to local hunger centers and the clients they serve. Because of our incredible purchasing power, every $1 donated to the Food Bank helps provide four meals to our neighbors in need. This allows us to purchase highly nutritious food, such as fresh produce.

Although the most-needed donation is cash, the following food items are essential to local hunger centers: peanut butter, tuna fish, canned vegetables, canned soup, cereal, and beef stew. We also encourage the donation of items low in sodium and sugar.

No. Monetary donations are the most essential element of emergency food assistance. The Food Bank is able to acquire the most needed food items at prices significantly lower than what would be available to you at retail stores.

We consider the delivery of your food donation to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to be part of your generous contribution, as transportation is a significant expense for our organization.

An appointment is not needed to drop off food. We are able to accept food donations Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at our facility, located at 15500 S. Waterloo Rd., Cleveland, OH 44110. Please pull around to the East side of our building and up to ramp marked “All Donations," ring the bell outside the door and a member of our warehouse staff will be out to assist you. Our staff will unload and weigh the items in order to provide you with a receipt for the donation.

Please be prepared to provide our staff with the organization and contact information for your drive and/or food donation.

Note: We can only accept food donations that are non-perishable and directly received by Greater Cleveland Food Bank staff. Any items left outside our building will be disposed of.

Yes! All individual donors will receive a thank you letter indicating the amount for their donation. At the end of the campaign, all companies will receive a thank you letter indicating the total amount of food and/or fund contributed to the campaign. Companies that reach one of our giving levels will be recognized at the Harvest for Hunger Recognition Ceremony. We are grateful for all you do to help the campaign!

Still have questions? Email us at harvestforhunger@clevelandfoodbank.org

Absolutely! Visit the Harvest for Hunger website to learn more about the other participating food banks.