Neighborhood Food & Fund Drive - Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Our 19th Annual Neighborhood Food & Fund Drive will take place in many area neighborhoods from April 18-25, 2026. Homes in participating neighborhoods will receive grocery bags by Saturday, April 18 with invitations to fill them and leave them out for pick up by volunteers on Saturday, April 25.

Started by Kathy Busch in her own Guilderland neighborhood in 2008, the collection now includes thousands of households throughout the Capital Region and Mid-Hudson Valley. In 2025, over 100 neighborhood captains teamed up with the Regional Food Bank to collect 20,000 pounds of food and grocery items for our neighbors in need. In 2026, we’re looking to expand our efforts into more neighborhoods!

Interested in helping?

You can sign up to be a Neighborhood Captain, or donate on your own! Check out the information below to learn more.

Neighborhood Captains are tasked with distributing collection bags provided by the Regional Food Bank, then returning any bags of donations to the Food Bank on the day of the food drive.

Distribute as many or as few bags as you’d like.
Choose to distribute among your neighbors, social club, church, etc.
Help fight food insecurity affecting people in nearby communities.
Pick up bags for distribution between April 6 and April 17.
Drop off to your friends and neighbors by April 18.
Informational flyers will be stapled to the bag that include a list of our most-needed items and a QR code if neighbors choose to donate money.
On the morning of Saturday, April 25, captains will pick up the full bags from their friends and neighbors and bring them to the closest Regional Food Bank.

Download the Neighborhood Captain flyer here!