SPRING 2022
CHARTING A HEALTHIER TOMORROW The COVID roller coaster continued through 2021 throwing us, our agencies, and the people we serve up and down, through loops and back again. Looking back, however, we are so proud of what we were able to accomplish thanks to our partners, supporters and donors despite the challenges. Some of the areas we are most excited to be building on is in the healthy foods we are able to provide, and we were able to secure a grant from CVS to hire Healthcare Partnership Coordinator, Domaneneicka Smith-James. This is a new position for the Food Bank and we look forward to seeing how Smith-James will build bridges in our local healthcare community to develop programs that increase access to food, nutrition and healthcare. The Food Bank of North Alabama crossed another positive health milestone in the final quarter of 2021, when 25 percent of distributed food was fresh produce, bakery, dairy and frozen meat. This is a long way from even 10 years ago when nearly everything coming out of the warehouse was canned and dry foods. The increase of fresh food means that the people we’re serving have more of what they need to live better, healthier lives.
FURTHER GROWTH The Food Bank also added another new grantfunded position in 2021 and we are proud to now have an Equitable Food Coordinator, Marisa Hawkins. Hawkins will be focused on ensuring the Food Bank is continually working on ways to be more equitable in our distribution of food so that it
benefits all people in our coverage area in ways that suit them. Hawkins is now a key part of the Food Bank-wide effort to make sure that all communities have access to the food they need and aren’t being discriminated against. The other new positions added in 2021 include Inventory/Food Sourcing Coordinator Chris Birdwell and Grant Coordinator Martha Grace Mize. Birdwell will collaborate with the rest of our operations staff to help us better and more efficiently manage our inventory. He also will help us source the best foods possible for those we serve. Mize will be working on grant applications and reports to further help the Food Bank grow to meet the need in our community. continued on pg 4