The Heart of Alabama Food Bank (HAFB) was awarded a $1,000,000 Feeding America Retail Agency Capacity Building Grant partly funded by the Walmart Foundation. This grant aims to maximize retail rescue opportunities through agency (food pantries) capacity building, better serving rural and/or communities of color. This funding helps to build capacity with agencies to conduct direct pick-ups from retail store locations within HAFB’s service area. Enabling agencies to conduct their pick-ups is the most efficient way to grow retail rescue and support equitable food distribution. This frees up the fleet and drivers from HAFB, allowing time for other pickups and distributions.
Increasing the capacity of local agencies to implement their store donation programs profoundly affects the pounds of food we can source collectively. If equipped with the tools and training necessary, local agencies have quicker access to things like dairy and produce, which have a specific shelf life and can be distributed much faster to our neighbors in need than if HAFB were conducting store donation pickups and distributing them to the agencies. In turn, those with food insecurity have greater access to more nutritious items such as fresh produce, dairy, and protein products. The photos here reflect a few of our agency partners who have benefited from the grant: The Welcome Food Pantry and the Holy Food Pantry Alliance (All Saints Kingdom Church, Beacon Light Ministries, Fan into Flame Church of God, Holy Assembly Church of Jesus Christ).
