COVID-19 Updates and Information

COVID-19 Impact

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 responding to the increased need for food due to COVID-19.

  • 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 are drive-thru style, to avoid person-to-person contact. Additional sites are added frequently, so please check back often.

How You Can Help

Due to increased unemployment, lack of school meals, and decreased work capability, food insecurity is at an all-time high. 

The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama is rising to meet this need, but we need your help. We are in need of volunteers and donations, but the best way to help us is through financial support. We are able to stretch each dollar to feed six people. Through your direct donations, we can reach more people. Any amount helps. You can donate using the link below, or mail a check to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, PO Box 55029, Birmingham, AL 35255.

A helpful link: The Do’s and Don’ts of Donating to Food Banks During COVID-19

Donate
Volunteer
Start a Food/Fund Drive

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.

We are looking for partners to help us expand our reach:

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 or Communities
– Churches
– 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations
– Hospitals or Clinics
– Public Libraries
– Colleges, Universities, or 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 programs, please contact our Programs Team at partnerassist@feedingal.org