The CBIZ team is holding our 13th annual national food drive to lend a helping hand to our local communities in need. With the economy continuing to recover as the pandemic eases, many families need a little extra help to afford the necessities. As of last year’s food drive, we have collected a total of 9.7 million pounds of food and look forward to adding to that number this year. In 2020, our food drive went completely virtual for the first time in history. We plan to match that success with the 2021 “Feed The Need” food drive!

This year’s drive will launch on Monday, Nov. 8 and run through Friday, Nov. 19. as a combination of both virtual and in-person events. We will be collecting canned goods, as well as cash and check donations in our local CBIZ offices. For those looking to contribute online, we are using the platform MightyCause to accept donations. The virtual option is meant to ensure that everyone is comfortable and safe, and has an opportunity to give back right from their homes. We are excited to see the success this year brings!

Last year’s “Best Virtual Promotion” contest was such a success that we plan to hold that same contest this year. Team members may submit their best photo, TikTok, video, screenshot or other shareable visual that promotes the food drive - the first, second and third place winners will receive breakfast or lunch! In addition to the virtual promotion contest, we are bringing back the “Best Display” contest, where offices compete to put on the best visual display. This offers team members a chance to tap into their creative side and raise even more money for their local food bank. The first, second and third place winners will receive breakfast or lunch for their food drive committee, as well as additional cash prizes to add to the donations they collected.

On top of our two contests for virtual promotion and best display, there will be first and second place prizes for the top collecting offices, broken down by three categories: large, medium and small. The prizes for top earners range from $500 to $5,000 towards that location's food bank, as well as additional incentives, including a half day off of work and breakfast or lunch for the entire office. To add to the friendly competition we are stirring up this year, each office has the option of challenging another office to see who can earn the most donations - the loser has to face their fate at the hands of the other office. We can’t wait to see what friendly wagers are in store for us this year!

Events are allowed to take place once again, in a safe and socially distanced manner, in accordance with CDC guidelines. We are thrilled that our annual food drive and the events that lead up to it will allow us to return to some form of normalcy and face-to-face interaction, however, we will do everything in our power to ensure that our team members and clients feel safe and protected in the process.

With the significant impact the ongoing pandemic is having on our communities, CBIZ strives to help in any way possible. We hope to offer a helping hand to those who have been financially impacted and are working towards getting back on their feet. We are humbled by the opportunity we have to support our communities with this year’s food drive through our CBIZ Cares program, which supports philanthropy as a key pillar of our company’s culture. We incorporate philanthropy into our lives in many forms including charity walks, career enhancement for women in need, our food drive and more.

We look forward to announcing the final results and winners of our fun contests in upcoming blog posts - stay tuned! To stay up-to-date on displays and events, follow #CBIZFoodDrive on Twitter and Facebook for updates and photos.