What is the Donation Station?
In 2007, we piloted a program that grew with the support of local farmers and community members into what we now call the Donation Station.
The Donation Station works for long-term food security by providing immediate access to healthy food while supporting farmers growing food locally and also reducing food waste.
The idea is simple:
- We receive food and monetary donations at local food aggregate sites each week.
- We reinvest donated funds with our local farmers, buying healthy, local produce to share with those facing food insecurity.
- We collect unsold produce from farmers that won't hold until the next market so that it doesn't go to waste.
- We distribute the fruits and veggies that we purchase, along with donated produce and whole foods from farmers and community members, to our food access partners, who take the produce to their organization to share with friends and neighbors in need.
- We partner with CFI's Discovery Kitchen to provide cooking education for Donation Station food recipients.
The Donation Station is an amazing program working for long-term resilience, supporting this region's people, economy, and cultural traditions, while also knowing that we're all rooted in and dependent on the health of the environment.
You can help! Click below to contribute what you can!
Donation Station Schedule
Athens Community Center
701 E State Street, Athens, OH
Parking lot under the solar panels, or inside the Community Center (winter months)
Saturdays | 9am – 12pm | All Year
Wednesdays | 9am – 1pm | April – December
Help Us Reach Our Goal in 2026
In 2025, we distributed more than 70,000 pounds of nourishing, locally grown or produced food to our food access partners in Appalachian Ohio. We'd like to do even more in 2026. You can help! Here are additional ways you can help us grow and share the harvest.
Grow & Share Team
Do you have a garden? Join the Grow & Share Team by bringing extra garden produce to Donation Station at the Athens Farmers Market, any Wednesday or Saturday, 9am-noon. Do you have more produce than you have time to harvest? Call CFI or email Drew and we will do our best to coordinate a team to harvest or glean produce from your garden, orchard, or field to donate to Donation Station.
