Have an extra freezer? Want to become a drop point for donations? Freezer banks allow bakers to drop off their donations at times outside of the usual Sunday donation day: easier for those with unconventional schedules, or when vacations or other responsibilities interfere with a Sunday drop off.
As the freezer bank manager, you will be responsible for making sure that the loaves and cookies donated to your freezer are transferred to the food bank for the next donation date. This might mean bringing them to your hub along with your own donations on donation Sunday, or it might be that you drop them off yourself at the food bank Monday.
FAQs:
How do items collected in my freezer bank get to the food bank?
You may decide how the items you've collected in your freezer bank get to your partnered food bank:
- You may take all items collected in your freezer bank and take them to your hub's regular drop off point on doughnation Sunday.
- Drop the baked items directly at the food bank on Doughnation Monday. It's no problem to drop off directly at the food bank.
You will submit the final counts for the freezer independently. If dropping off at your hub leader's house, they will ignore the Freezer Bank count, because you will have entered those already.
How does the freezer bank manager and baker coordinate donation drop-offs?
A baker pre-checks their items into the freezer bank, which triggers a text to your phone to alerts you that someone has reserved a spot. The baker is coached to reach out to you directly to coordinate a drop-off time. You are also given the opportunity to reach out to them to confirm a good time to drop off.
Do I need to be home for donation drop-offs?
You do not need to be home to receive a donation drop off, but you do need to provide a protected place for the baked items to go (out of reach of hungry critters or inclement weather). Keep in mind that both bread loaves and Energy Cookies should be placed in the freezer within a few hours of drop off, so please do not arrange for a baker to drop items at your door when you are out of town unless you have arranged with a friend who can put them in the freezer for you.
What happens if I am planning to be out of town?
If you plan to be out of town, you can "Suspend" donations to your freezer bank via the Edit Freezer Bank button in your Freezer Manager Toolkit. This prevents anyone from making a new reservation until you uncheck the "Suspend Donations" setting. Learn more about Freezer Bank Maintenance here.
On average, how many bakers can I expect to drop off items at my freezer bank each donation period? What if I run out of room in my freezer?
When a freezer bank first opens, drop-offs will start off slowly. Some periods you may have zero donations, some weeks you could have 2-5. It really depends on the size of your hub.
Each freezer bank manager sets their own freezer capacity, and once bakers have checked in enough items to meet that quota, the freezer bank will be "closed" for additional donations.
It takes a moment to get your freezer bank fully set up, but it is a relatively straightforward process. Our goal is for this option to be as seamless as possible for you, your fellow bakers, and your hub manager.
Still interested? Send us a message, and we’ll get back to you soon!