Stuff-It Drive

The great thing about a stuff ____ is that you can insert any noun in there. It’s about filling a need in whichever way you need to.

Stuff ________

When you find a problem, you can stuff in a solution. That’s why this prompt is open-ended. You can coordinate a drive for anything you want and bring needed supplies to someone. The possibilities are endless. Here are a few popular ones with Team Care Hard.
Stuff the Backpack
Stuff the Stocking
Stuff the Tub
Stuff the Toy Box
Stuff the Pantry
Stuff the Closet
Stuff the STEM
Stuff the Pail o’ Kindness

Step 1 - Ask a Question

The key to a drive is to figure out what the need is and what product will help the most. When we haven't experienced the other side's position, we can rush to support without knowing what to collect. That's great intention but misdirected support. So, the first step is to ask the persons affected what they need.

Below are some ideas of common products that people often need. You can almost always find an organization that is collecting these basic supplies.

Personal Hygiene Products (Soap, Shampoo, Brushes)
Menstrual Products
School Supplies
Socks
Jackets and Coats
Prom Dresses and Suits/Tuxes
Diapers
Newborn Supplies (Formula, Onesies)
Books
New Toys
Teddy Bears
Lego Kits
Food
Blankets
Puzzles and Board Games
Step 2 - Pick a Theme and Product
Once you know the need, you can fill the box. We start with Stuff It because it helps us think of a container that we want to fill up. This is called framing and helps people imagine that something is empty and that it needs to be filled up.

Step 3 - Recruit a Team and Assign Roles
When it comes to a drive, the more the merrier. Depending on how many products you want to gather, you will need a few team members to support you.

The drive's leader will be in charge of major logistal decisions, including:

Start Date of Drive (When will you begin planning? When will you begin collecting?)
End Date of Drive (When will you stop collecting? When will you deliver product to your recipient)
Goal of Drive (How much product do you need to gather?)
Products and Theme (Which products answer your question and solve a solution?)
Team Recruitment (Who can help you with the roles to a create a drive?)
Recipient of the Products (Who will benefit the most from all of your product?)

To recruit a team, you will want to consider the roles you will need to achieve the goal. Here are some roles that drives often require:

Drop-off Location Organizer - This person helps find drop-off locations and coordinates with the businesses to drop/pick up the boxes. They will also need to source boxes that can be used to collect the products.
Marketing Leader - This person helps spread the word. They might create a flier with details to hang on the boxes, email or post the fliers in different locations, or use it to spread the word online.
Sorters - This person or group is in charge of sorting and boxing up all the supplies. They might choose to make it a team effort by inviting others to help so they will need to pre-sort to help with the assembly line. They will need to think about what to "stuff" the products into if using a container for the drive.
Delivery to Recipient Person - This person or team is in charge of delivering the goods to the recipient.

Tips: Pick a Drop-off Location

Pick an accessible drop-off location. Businesses with good foot traffic (that means alot of people coming and going) and that have good parking are accessible.

Tips: Spreading the Word

Don't be afraid to ask. Most people want to help out and if they can't they might help lead you to someone who can. Awareness is a challenge for anyone and businesses spend much money to get their story out there, but the best way they get attention is from word of mouth. This means we hope that someone we tell will tell another person. Start with friends and family and ask them to tell a friend.

Tips: Say 'Thank You' and Provide Results

A thank you goes a long way. Others will remember your generosity and appreciation. A physical note card can be especially powerful. The person might even hang it up or use it to tell more people about the drive that you completed which helps you to inspire others and spread awareness for the problem and a solution to help out.
People also like to know how their contribution provided an impact. This means that is important to send a wrap-up note to anyone that helped out to tell them things like: