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Templates for Neighborhood Coordinators – updated June 2023

06/06/2023
nonperishables

Here is some language you can send to new neighbors explaining what PORCH is, how you operate as a Neighborhood Coordinator, and how they can help. (You can also borrow some of this verbiage to write a handwritten note – or to print out a letter and leave on doorsteps.)

Dear Neighbors,

Rising costs have led to an increased need for food at our local pantries. To get more food into the hands of our neighbors in need, I serve as PORCH’s Neighborhood Coordinator for [your street here] in [name of neighborhood here]. Our next food collection for [month] will be [date]. 

If you choose to participate, I will notify you by email once a month about the date and include suggested foods for the collection. You would then leave your food donation on your front porch for my pickup. 

Your food donations will be used to pack bags of non-perishable food that will be given to PORCH’s Food for Families participants and to restock local food pantries. The Food for Families program serves 550 families that have been identified by our Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools social workers as being food insecure. Each family receives a bag of non-perishable food, a box of fresh fruits and vegetables, a gallon of milk, two dozen eggs, and a grocery gift card.  

Some of the non-perishable donations you leave on your porch will be used to restock local food pantries such as Meals on Wheels of Orange County, Freedom House Recovery Center, and UNC’s Carolina Cupboard. 

If you are interested in participating, please e-mail me at [your email], and I will add you to my list for pickups and monthly reminders. You can contribute every month or as it is convenient. Together, we can make a big difference in feeding our community! Since its founding in 2010, PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro has provided more than $5 million in hunger relief thanks to a dedicated army of volunteers, donors, and partners.

Suggested donations include (plastic containers are preferred over glass): 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. And thank you in advance for your generosity! Sincerely, 

Name
Email and phone number 

P.S. To learn more about PORCH or to make a financial gift, go to chapelhill.porchcommunities.org.


Here is a templated note for quick reminders about when pickup day is and what kind of food items you’re hoping to collect. 

Dear neighbor,


Our next PORCH food pickup is [insert day and date].


Items needed this month (listed in order of priority) include: 

Please check expiration dates and note that plastic containers are preferred over glass. 

If you’re able to donate some of the items listed above, please email me at [INSERT YOUR EMAIL]. 

Thank you for being a part of this generous group!  

Sincerely,
[Insert your name] 
Your PORCH Neighborhood Coordinator 

P.S. To learn more about PORCH or to make a financial gift, go to chapelhill.porchcommunities.org.

Here is a templated thank you note you can send after you collect items – this congratulates your neighbors on a successful month (complete with tallies!) and encourages them to save future PORCH dates in their calendar. 

Dear neighbor, 

The bags of food have been delivered, and the final tallies are in. The neighbors on our street donated over [insert number] bags of food this month! Because of your generosity, many meals that would otherwise have been skipped will now be eaten by local families. It is hard to imagine a community more faithfully stepping up to meet the challenges of these times. 

Together, let’s do even more! Mark your calendars for our upcoming PORCH pick-up
days: [insert dates]. One non-perishable food item at a time, we are making a big difference when it comes to relieving hunger in our community. 

Until next month, my heartfelt thanks for all you do. 

Sincerely, 

[Your name] 
Your PORCH Neighborhood Coordinator

P.S. Learn more about PORCH or make a financial gift at chapelhill.porchcommunities.org.