This is a great way to help out a food pantry or homeless shelter AND raise money for the youth. Have the youth get people to pledge a small amount of money for each can of food they can collect for a certain food pantry or homeless shelter. You might want to set a limit on the number of cans or the amount of time the youth have to collect the cans. Two weeks should be good.
If you have 10 kids who get 10 people to pledge just FIVE CENTS a can and each kid collects 150 cans, you’ve collected $750 and raised 1,500 cans of food!! Bigger youth groups could make tons and raise even more for the needy.