Farmers to Families Food Box Program

Farmers to Families Food Box Program

About the Program

Community Food Bank of Central Alabama is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and local for-profit food distributors to implement the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) or the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.  The purpose of Farmers to Families is to provide fresh, healthy foods to vulnerable populations through regularly scheduled distributions.

Farmers to Families delivers large amounts of fresh (i.e., perishable) foods–including fresh fruits and vegetables–to partner sites “Just-In-Time” to be quickly distributed to individuals in need.  All foods are prepackaged by for-profit distributors into grocery boxes ranging in size from 15-25 lbs.  These preassembled boxes are then delivered directly to partner sites who distribute them THE SAME DAY THEY ARE RECEIVED to participating families via a “drive-through” distribution system.  By serving families in their vehicles, volunteers are able to maintain safe social distancing in accordance with CDC guidance.

Become a Distribution Site

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

 

NOTE: Individual persons not affiliated with an organization should not apply.

To be considered for partnership, applicants must have the following:

  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 distribute preassembled grocery boxes to a minimum of 100 households per distribution not less than once monthly while strictly adhering to CDC social distancing guidelines.
  3. Ability to report numbers of households served by each distribution to CFBCA staff once each month.
  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.
  8. Ability to participate in the program for no fewer than 2 consecutive months.
For questions regarding Farmers to Families or other grocery programs, please contact Jon Barnacastle, Programs Coordinator, at wjbarnacastle@feedingal.org.
To submit an application to serve as a Farmers to Families site,click below.
Apply to be a Distribution Site

USDA BrandingAs part of the Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program Secretary Perdue announced on April 17 that the USDA is exercising authority under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to purchase and distribute up to $3 billion of agricultural products to those in need. USDA will partner with regional and local distributors, whose workforce has been significantly impacted by the closure of many restaurants, hotels, and other food service entities, to purchase fresh produce, dairy, and meat.The distributors and wholesalers will then provide a pre-approved box of fresh produce, dairy, and meat products to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans in need. Learn more from the USDA.