How does food banking work?
The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama operates as a food distribution center. We purchase food from industry sources, and we receive surplus food reclaimed from local grocery stores. (We also welcome food donations from the community!) In turn, we distribute that food to over 230 nonprofits in the community who act as our agency partners. The agencies receive food from the Community Food Bank and distribute that food to those in need, free of charge.
We do not distribute food directly from our facility, but we operate a number of public food distributions, called Mobile Pantries, which we host around our 12-county area. When we identify a gap, either geographically or demographically, that leaves specific populations vulnerable to hunger, we operate direct meal programs that foster healthy food access for those at risk of hunger. You can find these distributions on the calendar on our Find Food page.