17 ways you can prevent hunger in Alabama now

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According to a 2021 report from the US Department of Agriculture, more than 13% of households in Alabama struggle with food insecurity each day. This means not having enough food to live a healthy, active life. Fortunately, a number of great organizations are working to prevent hunger in our state during the holidays and year-round. Keep reading to find out how you can get involved.

DYK, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama supports many organizations working to address health and food disparities in our state? Whether you or someone you know needs food or wants to help those who do, here are 17 fantastic organizations that are working to prevent food insecurity across Alabama.

Central Alabama organizations combating food insecurity

1. Alabama Childhood Food Solutions—Birmingham + Sylacauga

Alabama Childhood Food Solutions is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization that provides food to food-insecure children and families in five counties in Central Alabama: Talladega, Coosa, Calhoun, Randolph + Shelby County.

• Volunteer: Volunteers are needed daily, each week, to help with food pantry distributions + packing backpacks for food insecure children in the communities they serve.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

2. Community Food Bank of Central Alabama

The mission of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama is to feed people in need today and foster collaborative solutions to end hunger tomorrow. They work to close the “meal gap” in 12 counties in Central Alabama: Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Walker + Winston.

• Volunteer: Whether you are an individual, a group, or looking to complete community service hours, we have opportunities for you that will help change the lives of people facing food insecurity in our communities.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

3. Community Kitchens of Birmingham

Community Kitchens is a nonprofit organization that provides lunch to the hungry 365 days per year from St. Andrews and Grace Episcopal Church in Woodlawn. Annually this amounts to over 65,000 meals served to help stop hunger. The doors to Community Kitchens are open to all. No one is required to attend a religious service, rich or poor are equally welcome—they only need to be hungry.

• Volunteer: Individuals + groups can sign up for one or more shifts 365 days a year.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

4. Hoover Helps

Over 500 children in Hoover have been identified as food insecure and likely many others that have not been identified. Hoover Helps works with faith-based organizations and local companies to help children in need.

• Help: Find out how your business can help.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

5. Downtown Jimmie Hale Mission Birmingham

Downtown Jimmie Hale Mission, Inc. is a Christian-based, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, which includes a homeless shelter for men, a shelter for women and children, recovery programs and three learning centers.

• Volunteer: Whether you want to serve a meal, mentor a client or something else, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.
• Donate: select the donate dropdown menu on the right-hand side of the page to see the giving options.
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

6. Jones Valley Teaching Farm Birmingham

Through the power of food, Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF) creates opportunities for academic exploration, environmental stewardship, personal growth and leadership and pathways to employment. They envision a Birmingham inspired by food and transformed by youth.

• Volunteer: There are many ways to get involved with Jones Valley Teaching Farm.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

7. Magic City Harvest Birmingham

Since 1995, Magic City Harvest, the perishable food recovery program of greater Birmingham, works to alleviate food insecurity, malnutrition and food waste through the free distribution of donated excess food to programs feeding those in need.

• Volunteer: Email info@magiccityharvest.org to help create new annual events to widen their reach.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

8. Mothers Milk Bank of Alabama

The Mothers’ Milk Bank of Alabama is a non-profit organization that collects, processes and distributes donated breastmilk to provide nourishment to babies in need.

• Donate milk
• Donate time
• Donate money
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

9. Oak Mountain Missions—Pelham

This nonprofit demonstrates Christ’s love by providing food, clothing, furniture and financial assistance to those in need in Shelby County and the Greater Birmingham Area.

• Volunteer: They welcome non-perishable food donations and other items needed by clients as noted on the Mission Needs page.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook

10. P.E.E.R. Inc. (Promoting Empowerment & Enrichment Resources)—Birmingham

The East Lake Market is a program of Promoting Empowerment and Enrichment Resources (P.E.E.R., Inc.). P.E.E.R., Inc. aims to empower a thriving, diverse community in the eastern area of Birmingham through resources for healthy living, learning and working.

• Volunteer: Sign up to volunteer.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook

11. Woodlawn Community Table

Woodlawn Community Table, Inc. is an organization partnering with residents in the 35212 zip code to form sustainable low-income food cooperatives with the focus of healthy food options and relationship building to raise the social capital of its neighbors. 

• Volunteer: Sign up for the Glean Team.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

River Region

12. Montgomery Area Food Bank

Since 1986, the Montgomery Area Food Bank (MAFB) has fought hunger and poverty by distributing food and other necessities to over 800 Partner Agencies in 35 of Alabama’s 67 counties.

• Volunteer: Volunteer as an individual, as a group, host a food or fund drive.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

South Alabama

13. Feeding the Gulf Coast—Mobile

Feeding the Gulf Coast is a Feeding America affiliated food bank serving 24-counties throughout South Alabama, South Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle.

• Volunteer: Find out how you can get involved.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

14. The Cookery Project—Mobile

The Cookery Project encourages children in the art, the science and the gift of cooking.

• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Statewide

15. Auburn University, College of Human Sciences, Hunger Solutions Institute (Double Up Alabama Program)

The Hunger Solutions Institute (HSI) was established by the College of Human Sciences and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station at Auburn University in February 2012 in an effort to further Auburn’s nationally recognized efforts in food security domestically and globally.

End Child Hunger in Alabama is a public movement addressing the critical issues of hunger and food insecurity facing Alabama’s children and youth. In 2013, ECHA was launched as an effort to move Alabama into the top 25 percent nationally in child food security. Since its beginning as the first outreach initiative of the Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University, ECHA’s network has grown to include public and private sector partners from around the state.

16. Society of St. Andrew Alabama

Each year, the Society of St. Andrew coordinates hundreds of volunteers to glean hundreds of thousands of pounds of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables across Alabama.

• Volunteer: Fill out a volunteer profile to get started.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Tuscaloosa

17. Tuscaloosa Community Soup Bowl

Their ministries serve 57,000 hot meals a year to the hungry in Tuscaloosa.

• Volunteer: Every day, about 20 volunteer hours are needed to prepare + serve meals. Sign up.
• Donate
• Learn more: Website | Facebook

Healthier people are happier people. Learn more about ways to stay healthy with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama today.

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