Can Share Brochure

Boston Can Share is an annual food drive sponsored by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Hunger, Federal Express, KeySpan, The Greater Boston Food Bank, Project Bread, and the United States Postal Service.

Can Share now in its 21st year joins Boston's business and civic community and City Hall departments in the effort to combat hunger in Boston by collecting donated food as well as monetary contributions. For four weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, in office suites, businesses and supermarkets throughout the city, Can Share boxes are filled by our partners that will replenish the shelves of the Greater Boston Food Bank during the critical high demand holiday season.

In 2007 103,000 pounds of food was collected through Can Share.

Register Online for Can Share
Can Share 2007 registration has ended. The next registration will open in November 2008.

Each participating company or organization has a coordinator who promotes the food drive to their co-workers. Boston Can Share provides promotional materials-- posters and brochures. Boston Can Share also provides boxes that are used to collect donations. Throughout the food drive, Federal Express picks up the donations from each location for delivery to The Greater Boston Food Bank. The food is distributed to over 90 food pantries in Boston as well as to shelters and soup kitchens.

Monetary donations can be solicited through a Corporate Matching Program in which companies match their employees' food donation with a cash donation. The money collected is used for City of Boston hunger initiatives, such as the purchase of food items not usually donated, such as infant formula or fresh produce for agencies serving persons with special dietary requirements, hypertension or diabetes. Checks made out to "Boston Can Share" can be mailed to:

Boston Can Share
c/o Emergency Shelter Commission
Room 716, Boston City Hall
Boston, MA 02201

If you have any questions regarding Boston Can Share, please call the Emergency Shelter Commission @ 617-635-4507 or e-mail to bostoncanshare@cityofboston.gov.