Our Programs
We take a two fold approach to end hunger in North Alabama.
First, we offer hunger relief programs that immediately feed hungry people in need.
Second, we address hunger’s root causes through local food initiatives that foster entrepreneurship and healthy food access.
Hunger Relief Programs
Our hunger relief programs meet the needs of people at risk of hunger today.
Each year, we supply 8.9 million pounds of food to homeless shelters, food pantries, soup kitchens and children’s programs across 11 counties in North Alabama. Together we feed over 80,000 people at risk of hunger.
70% of the families we feed have a household member with high blood pressure. The Food Bank has partnered with dietitians and grocers like Kroger to offer special meals and menus to help families learn how to prevent or alleviate diet-related diseases.
We partner with companies and churches to provide weekend meal kits to students who depend upon school meals and may go without when school is closed. The kits ensure children arrive to school Monday morning ready to learn without the distraction of hunger.
We pick up food donations from over 80 local grocery stores 5 days a week. The program saves over 4 million pounds of food from going to waste in local landfills each year and instead uses this food to feed our region’s most vulnerable citizens.
We play a vital role in responding to emergencies that impact our region, including tornadoes and floods. We supply emergency food and water to residents directly impacted by disasters.
We work with community partners to identify families in need of food assistance who may be eligible for the SNAP program (formerly known as food stamps). We help families through the application process and connect them to farmers markets that accept SNAP benefits.
When school lets out, thousands of low-income children across north Alabama miss the school meals they received during the school year. Summer Meal Programs ensure that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals even when schools are not in session.
Local Food Initiatives
The second part of the Food Bank’s mission is creating solutions that will end hunger tomorrow. Each of these solutions focuses on developing and supporting local food entrepreneurship.
We help families access fresh foods from local farmers by promoting the use of SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) at farmers markets. For up to $20, we double the value of every SNAP dollar spent at a participating farmers market.
We help family farmers sell locally grown fruits and vegetables to schools, workplace cafeterias and grocery stores. The program supports Alabama farmers, strengthens our local economy and creates easy access to fresh, healthy food choices!
This fund provides micro-loans to family farmers and entrepreneurs who create jobs and healthy food access in underserved neighborhoods. The fund is operated by our non-profit partner Neighborhood Concepts.
Diaper Bank
We host the North Alabama location of the National Diaper, distributing diapers through our 200 nonprofit partners, who then share them with families in need.
We help provide diapers and wipes to our 200 nonprofit partners, who then distribute them to families in need. Families that struggle to buy food also struggle to buy diapers, so the issues are connected. Strong families = strong communities.
Make an impact on the lives of your neighbors at risk of hunger. Every $1 helps us provide nearly 7 meals.
If you need help, we will connect you to one of our partner feeding programs near you.
Your time is valuable and you want to put it to good use. We love that about our volunteers!
The Food Bank employs a two-pronged strategy to end hunger. Learn more about our wide variety of programs.
E-newsletter
Sign up for our e-newsletter to find out what’s new.