The Maryland Food Bank makes it very easy. They have a website on how to do it, and recently introduced a "virtual food drive" where donors could shop online from selected items. Their website is
http://www.mdfoodbank.org -- browse through it and you may find some ideas.
And it's easy to do at work.
1) get permission from the human resources office
2) put up flyers outlining what kinds of food items are needed (your food bank can give you that info), and the dates of the food drive. (We are doing it for 3 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.)
3) Put collection boxes at a location, or several locations. Collect food as it accumulates, and set it aside in a storage area.
4) When the drive is over, find some friends to help you pack the food into boxes and take it to the food bank.
Other ideas:
- Christmas or Hanukkah party where guests bring in needed food items.
- Ask friends and family who will be giving you Christmas presents to instead make a donation in your name to the food banks.
- Neighborhood food drive. Leave flyers in your neighborhood mailboxes telling them to bring over food items on a designated day, like a Saturday, so you can collect it for the food bank.
- If you belong to a church or synagogue or mosque, you could work with them to organize a food drive.