Program areas at MAFB
The structure of our organization provides increased opportunity for success to the local community agencies we support by collecting, sorting,(both dry/staple and cold/frozen) and distributing Food. Along with four smaller affiliated Food banks (afbs) under our supervision, we have a service area reaching to 35 of Alabama's 67 counties (with a population of approximately 330,000) and more than 800 community agencies. Our mission is to provide Food to the children, elderly, newly unemployed, working poor, homeless, mentally challenged, and victims of domestic violence and disasters. During our last fiscal year, we distributed more than 26 million pounds of vital nutrition to those in need.
Approximately 23% of seniors (60 years & older) in our service area are living in poverty. In our most impoverished county, that percentage jumps to over 36%. In order to help offset the needs of our seniors, we establisehd a senior supplement program that, in fy23, provided between 35-45 pounds of nutritious Food on a monthly basis to 800 seniors. We also provide two extra boxes in november and december specifically targeting the preparation of holiday meals.
Within our service area, 21% of the population are Food insecure. of that total, 24% of adults and 35% of children are living in poverty. One of our most effective strategies in combating this pervasive problem is our mobile pantry program. This program is designed to go to where the neediest are, and distribute Food directly through our partner agencies. This program allows us to target remote communities in Alabama's "black belt" area (chronically among the most poverty-stricken regions in the nation) as well as metropolitan areas. In fy23 we distributed 4,215,366 pounds of Food through this outreach effort.