Our mission is to serve people in need by securing and storing surplus food and household items and distributing it through local partnering service agencies. We receive food through America’s Second Harvest (a national food bank network with more than 200 food bank members) from government agencies, national donors, local donors and additional food is purchased with monies allocated in our budget.

The Food Bank operates as a central clearinghouse for collecting food that might otherwise be wasted. The Food Bank solicits and receives both new and commercially excess but fully edible food from many food industry sources such as manufacturers, distributors, warehouse and storage operations, grocery chains and individual donors. The Food Bank is also a member of America’s Second Harvest, a nationwide network of food banks, which solicits food in vast amounts and divides these goods among more than 200 food banks in the United States. This food is distributed to non-profit agencies and religious organizations that directly serve the needy through their own programs. These programs include shelters for the homeless, soup kitchens, residential facilities for the elderly and handicapped and shelters for abused women and children. Any charitable, non-profit agency meeting the criteria of the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 © (3) agency may apply to become an agency of the Food Bank. The agency must then agree to distribute the food to the public at no charge.

A grant of $100,000 from the Greater Birmingham Foundation made it possible for the Food Bank to open its doors on December 1, 1982. At that time, service was provided to Jefferson, Shelby and Walker counties. The planning was done by volunteers from the community and the Planning department of United Way. Over the last 21 years, the number of counties served by the food bank has increased from 3 to 13 and the number of agencies distributing food in Central Alabama has increased from 30 to 190.

NUMBER OF NEW AGENCIES:  22

NUMBER OF POUNDS COLLECTED: 5,780,889

NUMBER OF POUNDS DISTRIBUTED:  5,857,477

PERCNET INCREASE IN FRESH PRODUCED COLLECTED V. 2006:   300%

PERCENT DECREASE IN USDA  PRODUCT FROM 2006:  31%

Total Dollar Value of Food Purchased by the UWCFB in 2007:   $388,000.00

As you can tell, 2007 was an extremely busy year for the food bank!  Our efforts at expanding fresh produce were more successful than we ever imagined, and while our supply of USDA bonus product decreased, we were able to supplement this through additional food purchases and unbelievable community support through food drives, local community events, fundraisers, and more.  Our thanks go out to all of the dedicated volunteers in the community who worked to make this year a success for the United Way Community Food Bank. 

As we enter 2008, our hope is to continue serving the Central Alabama region through providing healthy nutritious food for those who need it most.  We hope to add to the programs of the food bank through the addition of a pilot backpack program, another innovative children’s nutrition program from America’s Second Harvest.  In addition, our dedicated staff continues to be willing to offer any help our agencies may need in making their food programs a success.  We are fortunate to have so many community members whose goal is to truly make central Alabama a great place to live.

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