Food City Launches 9th Annual Holiday Food Drive

The Friends & Pets in Need drive collects food and pet supplies for local hunger relief groups and animal shelters through December 31.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Philanthropy

Food City Launches 9th Annual Holiday Food Drive

Live Poll

Would you buy a $15 Food City bag to support local hunger relief this holiday season?

Food City launched its 9th annual Friends & Pets in Need Holiday Food Drive on November 4, 2026, selling specially marked bags of non-perishable food or pet food for $15 plus tax at area locations. The drive runs through December 31, 2026, and 100% of collected products benefit local hunger relief organizations and animal shelters.

Why it matters

Food City hosts the drive to address hunger in the region during the holidays and colder winter months. Last year's drive raised over $424,000 for local hunger relief organizations and animal shelters in the Chattanooga area.

Specially marked bags cost $15 plus tax at all area Food City locations, and last year's drive generated more than $424,000 for local hunger relief groups and animal shelters. Results for the current 2026 drive will not be known until after it closes on December 31.

The players

Food City

Food City is a regional grocery chain operating stores across Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama that sponsors annual hunger relief and animal welfare fundraising drives.

The details

Customers buy specially marked bags containing non-perishable food or pet food and deposit them in collection bins at the front of any area Food City store. The drive is now in its ninth year and is open through the end of the calendar year.

November 4, 2026: Food City's 9th annual Friends & Pets in Need Holiday Food Drive begins and bag sales start.
December 31, 2026: The drive and bag sales end.

Philanthropy Landscape

Food City's ninth consecutive year of holiday food collection continues a pattern of grocery retailers using point-of-sale bag programs to channel customer donations to regional food banks. The drive combines food and pet supplies in a single campaign, extending a long-running regional model of retailer-led charitable giving.

Shoppers can buy a $15 plus tax bag at any area Food City and drop it in the front-of-store bin, with the full contents going to local hunger relief groups and animal shelters. The drive is open through December 31, so donors have about two months to participate.

The takeaway

Buying one specially marked bag at a Food City location is a simple way to support local hunger relief and animal shelters before the year ends. Participation directly funds the organizations serving the region during the colder months.