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In these difficult economic times even something as basic as putting food on the  table is nearly impossible for some people. The difference between having a nutritious meal or going to bed hungry can be a thin line. You and your brother Knights and families can be that difference and help set the table for people in need by conducting a food drive.
Hold a Knights of Columbus Help Set the Table campaign to obtain food for local (both community and parish) soup kitchens or food pantries, or other services providing food or meals to people in need. Conduct the event at your local supermarket, wholesale store, parish or community center, asking for donations of food.
Here are some steps to follow when conducting this program.
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Contact a local food pantry or soup kitchen to ensure they will be able to receive the food and ask what their needs are. Also, determine if there are specific items that they need.
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Obtain permission (either from your appropriate business owner, government department or pastor) to set up the drive at a local store or church entry way or foyer.
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Display posters — with permission from the appropriate source — around your parish, community and stores. These posters should include the time and location of the drive.
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Ask nearby stores for empty boxes that the donations can be collected in.
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At the event pass out flyers to shoppers as they enter the store asking them  to purchase extra food and to place it in the collections boxes on their way out of the store.
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If you are running the event at your parish, hand out flyers to parishioners as they enter the church and ask your pastor to make an announcement about the initiative, or get permission to have a council officer make an announcement before or after each Mass. Also, request that a written announcement be included in the parish bulletin. In the announcement ask parishioners to donate nonperishable food items. These items should be brought to Mass the following weekend (you will need to run the informational part of the event on the first weekend and collect the items on the second weekend).
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When collecting monetary donations, make sure to have a secure receptacle in your collection area for cash and checks.
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Place some items in the collection boxes after setting them up so people can see what types of items are needed. Put a sign on the collection receptacle so people who miss the announcement will know what it is for.
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We need photos of your Knights in action at this event to promote this initiative on our Order’s Web site. Please have someone shoot photographs during the event, and make sure they are sent to the Supreme Council, Department of Fraternal Services, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT, 06510 or (preferably) e-mail them to fraternalservices@kofc.org. Make sure your members wear their Knights of Columbus shirts, hats, etc., when working at the event.
Through this simple, yet meaningful program, you can be the difference by making sure that the table is set every day for people in need.
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