What is Operation Food Basket?
Operation Food Basket is an annual campaign to feed hungry families in the Rochester New York metropolitan area during the year end holiday season. This is a critical time of year for many families in our area that do not have sufficient food for the holiday season. Operation Food Basket is a fully integrated campaign including:
- Solicitation and collection of cash donations
- Interaction with several charitable agencies that screen
and select the families to receive food deliveries - Purchase and packing of food for the families
- Delivery of the food to the families at their homes
Who are the people of Operation Food Basket?
Operation Food Basket is supported by over 400 volunteers working on the campaign and over 1100 individuals and organizations that contribute funds. Xerox Employees, contract employees and Xerox retirees throughout Monroe County are the primary participants however an increasing number of Partner Organizations also participate significantly (see Operation Food Basket Partners section of this web site)
2011 campaign goals and key dates
- Our goal for 2011 is to collect $50,000 in donations and provide food baskets to 2398 individuals.
- Key dates for 2011 are:
- Fundraising – October 24 – December 9
- Recruit volunteers – September 15 – December 9
- Receive names of recipients – November 21
- Pack and deliver food to families – December 20
How can individuals or organizations get
involved in Operation Food Basket
- Donate funds to the campaign – this is our greatest need
- Volunteer to work on the campaign
- Individuals and families that would like to receive food baskets – may contact the two charitable organizations that support Operation Food Basket to see if they qualify (see how to contact Operation Food Basket section of this web site)
Tax deductions for donations
Operation Food Basket operates as a sub-committee of the House of Mercy in Rochester, New York. The House of Mercy is a certified 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Donors will receive tax receipts upon request.
"Our goal is to help those who fall through the cracks in our social systems. We know that many of these families would not be able to have food during the holidays without the help of Operation Food Basket."
Gary Mroczek,
Xerox Retiree &
Original Core Team Member
The History of Operation Food Basket
Operation Food Basket started in 1981 and has been conducted annually since that time. It was started by a Xerox employee, Tony Carlisi who suggested to his fellow employees that the money spent on a $5 holiday grab bag gift exchange could be better used by buying and delivering food to needy families in the Rochester, NY area. Starting with a few dollars and few people, the campaign has grown to hundreds of volunteers who collect donations, buy, pack and deliver food directly to needy families just before Christmas.
The following chart shows the results of the campaign each year since its inception:
| Year # | Year | $ Collected | # People receiving food provisions |
# Families receiving food provisions |
Total pounds of food given to families |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1981 | $195 | 11 | 2 | 283 |
| 2 | 1982 | $268 | 16 | 3 | 389 |
| 3 | 1983 | $341 | 20 | 4 | 495 |
| 4 | 1984 | $414 | 24 | 5 | 601 |
| 5 | 1985 | $487 | 29 | 6 | 707 |
| 6 | 1986 | $560 | 33 | 7 | 813 |
| 7 | 1987 | $633 | 37 | 7 | 919 |
| 8 | 1988 | $706 | 39 | 8 | 968 |
| 9 | 1989 | $779 | 43 | 9 | 1068 |
| 10 | 1990 | $852 | 47 | 9 | 1168 |
| 11 | 1991 | $925 | 51 | 10 | 1268 |
| 12 | 1992 | $998 | 55 | 11 | 1368 |
| 13 | 1993 | $1,000 | 53 | 11 | 1299 |
| 14 | 1994 | $1,500 | 79 | 16 | 1948 |
| 15 | 1995 | $2,900 | 153 | 31 | 3767 |
| 16 | 1996 | $5,400 | 231 | 47 | 5703 |
| 17 | 1997 | $16,000 | 800 | 160 | 19744 |
| 18 | 1998 | $21,245 | 1158 | 232 | 28589 |
| 19 | 1999 | $20,716 | 1036 | 207 | 25564 |
| 20 | 2000 | $18,048 | 902 | 180 | 22271 |
| 21 | 2001 | $25,951 | 1298 | 260 | 32024 |
| 22 | 2002 | $33,651 | 1542 | 308 | 38062 |
| 23 | 2003 | $40,837 | 2000 | 357 | 49356 |
| 24 | 2004 | $53,337 | 2682 | 494 | 66182 |
| 25 | 2005* | $53,500 | 2623 | 501 | 64725 |
| 26 | 2006* | $51,903 | 2248 | 459 | 55481 |
| 27 | 2007* | $53,886 | 2565 | 436 | 63304 |
| 28 | 2008* | $53,260 | 2411 | 418 | 59503 |
| 29 | 2009* | $58,721 | 2747 | 514 | 67796 |
| 30 | 2010 | $55,000 | 2637 | 420 | 65081 |
| Total | $574,013 | 27571 | 5132 | 680447 | |
Operation Food Basket Partners
Operation Food Basket is supported by over 400 volunteers working annually on the campaign and over 1100 individuals and organizations that contribute funds.
During the 2010 campaign the following Partner Organizations participated in the campaign:
- Xerox Community Involvement Program — Cash grant
- Xerox Corporation — Provided the facilities for food packing, printing of campaign materials, transportation of packing materials and many other support services for the campaign.
- Wegman Companies, Inc. — Cash donation
- Xerox Leadership Association — Cash grant and volunteers on all committees
- OrCon Industries — 3000 boxes for family food deliveries
- Invisible Fence Company — Cash donation and food deliveries
- Hope Ventures — Cash donation and delivery volunteer
- LiDestri Foods — Spaghetti Sauce for all families
- Lisa's Hallmark — Cash donation
- Pittsford Rotary — Cash donation and food deliveries
- New Beginnings Christian Fellowship — Cash donation
- KPMG — Cash donation
- Pampered Chef — Cash donations and volunteer
- Xerographic Solutions Company — Food deliveries
- PJ and Son Landscaping – Food deliveries
- Nyles Trailer Sales — Loan of trailer for food deliveries
- Ralph Honda — Loan of van for food deliveries
- Dunn and Rice Design, Inc.— Website design, programming and maintenance
- The following companies donated food/refreshments for several hundred volunteers — Wegmans Food Markets, Starbucks, and Wendy's. Wegmans Foods also donated the use of shopping carts for use in packing food for families.
Operation Food Basket welcomes participation by any organization that wants to contribute funds or volunteers. See the how to contact Operation Food Basket section of this web site for key contacts for Partner Organizations