Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Information

The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama prioritizes the health and safety of our community, volunteers and staff. We are taking extra precautions around our facility, and we are prepared to respond to increased needs for food related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

COVID-19 Impact

If You Need Food

  • With a few exceptions, our network of 250 partner agencies and programs remains open. Find a food program here. We recommend calling before you go to confirm program hours and requirements.
  • CFB continues to serve its regular Mobile Pantry locations each month. Distributions will be drive-through style to avoid person-to-person contact.
    • Tarrant Elementary: 1269 Portland St. Birmingham, AL 35217, 3rd Saturday of each month, 8:30 am
    • Montevallo Boys & Girls Club: 420 Vine St. Montevallo, AL 35115, 4th Thur. of each month, 8:30 am
    • Jonesboro Elementary: 125 Owen Ave. Bessemer, AL 35020, 3rd Saturday of each month, 11:00 am
    • Huffman High School: 950 Springville Rd, Birmingham, AL 35215, Thursday, June 4th 11:00 am
  • During closure of Alabama schools, students in need of breakfast and lunch can receive them free at sites across the state. CLICK HERE.  Or text FOOD to 877-877.
  • We are in touch with other local partners preparing to respond as needed. We’ll share more details as they become available.

How You Can Help

The economic impact of COVID-19 will only increase food insecurity in our community. Closures of businesses and schools affect lower-income families and people with hourly wages in particular.

Volunteering

  • The safety of our staff, volunteers, and community remains our highest priority. We are taking extra precautions, including increased cleaning and sanitizing of our facility.
  • To volunteer at a mobile pantry CLICK HERE.
  • For inquiries regarding how to serve as a meal site for children, please contact Kim Lawkis, Director of Policy and Programs with the Alabama Food Bank Association at klawkis@alfoodbanks.org 
Our Partner Agencies need help as well:

Grace Klein Community needs volunteers to get food out quickly and safely to our neighbors in need.

Volunteer opportunity and shift responsibilities
o Load/Unload Trucks of food
o Organize food in distribution centers
o Prepare food to go into bags/boxes to be distributed to families coming through a drive thru.
o Continual sanitizing of site
o Intake of information from recipient to go in the distribution logs
o Load food into trunks of cars

CLICK HERE FOR TO VOLUNTEER WITH GRACE KLEIN.

Facilitating Mobile Pantries

Mobile Pantries deliver large amounts of groceries to partner sites “Just-In-Time” to be quickly distributed to individuals in need. Food is delivered by Community Food Bank of Central Alabama from its warehouse in Birmingham. Volunteers pack the food into grocery boxes at their site and distribute boxes to participating families via a “drive-through” distribution system. By remaining in and being served in their cars, participating families and volunteers are able to maintain safe social distancing in accordance with CDC guidance.

Potential partners might include but not necessarily be limited to the following:
-Schools
-Child daycare facilities
-senior care and/or residential facilities
-public housing authorities / communities
-Churches
-501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
-hospitals/clinics
-public libraries
-colleges / universities / technical schools

Partners must have the following capacities and facilities:

  1. Ability to conduct outreach to vulnerable populations (e.g., households with children or older adults)
  2. Ability to recruit and organize volunteers to SAFELY receive, repackage, and distribute a MINIMUM of 3,000 lbs of groceries in a relatively short amount of time–all while strictly adhering to CDC social distancing guidelines.
  3. Ability to report numbers of households served during Mobile Pantry to CFBCA staff after the fact.
  4. A large, level, paved parking lot capable of safely accommodating a 26′ refrigerated box truck.
  5. Ability/facilities for disposing of large amounts of garbage including bulk food packaging, shrink wrap, and empty pallets.
  6. A distribution/food staging area accessible by pallet jack (i.e., via a smooth, paved/concrete surface)
  7. A distribution area conducive to serving participating families directly in their cars via a “drive-through” distribution model.

For questions regarding Mobile Pantries or other grocery programs, please contact Jon Barnacastle, Programs Coordinator, at wjbarnacastle@feedingal.org.

Apply to start a Mobile Pantry

THANK YOU SO MUCH!