The Wiregrass Area United Way Food Bank is a non-profit hunger relief charity that solicits and collects surplus food. The Food Bank stores and distributes this food to agencies primarily feeding the needy in a six-county service area that includes Houston, Henry, Dale, Geneva, Coffee, and Barbour counties, as well as parts of northwest Florida and southwest Georgia.
We are an independent non-profit, with paid staff, volunteers, and a board of directors. Operating from a 22,000 square foot warehouse with refrigerated storage, and networked through Feeding America, the Food Bank can access food and other assorted grocery products, and operate at a minimal cost. As a result, member non-profit agencies that utilize the Food Bank are able to conduct their food programs in a cost effective manner. No donated food is ever sold by the Food Bank or by any member agency. Food recipients incur no cost for food assistance.
A shared maintenance fee (SMF) assessed to affiliate agencies helps to support the Wiregrass Area United Way Food Bank. Additional financial support is generously donated from churches, civic clubs, businesses and concerned citizens.
Who we serve:
Food is distributed for free by affiliate agencies to the hungry, the elderly and children either through on-site meals or by emergency food boxes.
The ultimate beneficiaries of the Food Bank are the people who receive the food we distribute, though much could be said of the benefits received by volunteers, donors and supporters.
Some programs which benefit are:
• Churches
• Food Pantries
• Soup Kitchens
• Group Homes
• Assisted-living Homes
• Half-way Houses
• Day Care Centers
• Senior Citizen Programs
• Developmental Centers
• Emergency Shelters
• Neighborhood Centers
• Nutrition Centers
• Health Care Centers and Programs
• Homeless Shelters
• Brown Bag of the Wiregrass
Where does the food come from?
Surplus food comes from all areas of the food industry. The major sources of surplus food are supermarkets, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. USDA commodities are distributed as part of our participation in the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Alabama Food Bank Association members supply food from statewide sources. The Wiregrass Area United Way Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America and receives product donated nationally to Feeding America through its certified affiliate food banks across America.
Some reasons for available surplus foods:
• Over Production
• Mislabeled Packages
• Close-dated Products
• Improperly Packaged Products
• Superficially Defaced Products
• Inventory Over Stock
• Farm Surplus
• Government Surplus
To maintain accountability to our donors and to protect the integrity of the food bank system, we monitor our agencies on a regular basis to ensure that food is going to qualified clients, that proper distribution records are kept and that food is stored in a safe environment until distributed.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866)632-9992 (Voice). TDD users can contact USDA through local relay or the Federal Relay at (800)877-8339 (TDD) or (866)377-8642 (relay voice users). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.