Stock the Pantry: Drop-off locations

(WKRG) — One in six people, including children, are food insecure along the central Gulf Coast. That’s more than 331,000 people. Nearly 95,000 of them are children.

Food insecurity matters. Rising gas and grocery costs impact all of us, but for people who are already struggling, their already tight budgets can get stretched to the breaking point.

As the cost of living rises, working families have to make tough choices at the grocery store. Higher costs make it harder to keep food on the table. Children are most vulnerable. Many children depend on food from school. When summer comes, they can lose access to those critical meals. Food insecurity becomes more acute when school is out for the summer. It doesn’t have to be this way.

WKRG News 5 is proud to partner with Feeding the Gulf Coast, a network of food pantries and community services that serves a 24-county area across southern Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle. Together, we can help struggling families and children get the food they need to thrive. We are focusing on food that kids can prepare for themselves, without the help of an adult, while they are home over the summer.

And we need your help.

Help Stock the Pantry: Drop-off locations

Join WKRG News 5, Feeding the Gulf Coast and our many partner organizations for Stock the Pantry. We are accepting food donations at locations across the Gulf Coast. Use our interactive map to find a drop-off location convenient to you:

Feeding the Gulf Coast: Who they are

Mission: Feeding the Gulf Coast works through member organizations and special programs to provide nutritious food to meet the challenge of feeding people who are hungry as a result of systemic poverty, personal crisis or disaster. We also educate the public regarding domestic hunger, proper nutrition and other related issues.

About: Feeding the Gulf Coast, formerly Bay Area Food Bank, serves a 24-county area spanning the Florida panhandle, south Alabama, and south Mississippi.

In 2022, the food bank distributed nearly 29 million meals through more than 800 community partners throughout its service area. The food bank also operates multiple hunger-relief and nutrition programs, including Summer and Afterschool Meals, Backpack and School Pantries, Disaster Relief, Mobile Food Distributions, Benefits Outreach, and Nutrition Education. Feeding the Gulf Coast is a United Way member agency and a member of Feeding America. For more information, visit www.feedingthegulfcoast.org.

For every dollar donated, 5 meals are generated for those in need.

Partners: Feeding the Gulf Coast partners with more than 800 community partners across the three states they serve. For a full list of partners, visit FeedingtheGulfCoast.org/find-help and use a Find A Pantry feature.

2022 Program Stats: Ensured nearly 12,000 children had access to nutritious food. Provided more than 1.5 million meals and snacks to children through the food bank’s four Child Nutrition Programs.

What to donate

All of your donations make a difference. To help, Feeding the Gulf Coast offers this list of kid-friendly donations.

Pop-top or Plastic Pull Top Lid Meals: Chef Boyardee’s, Beefaroni, or store brand of
canned meats and pastas such as beef ravioli, macaroni, chicken alfredo, beef lasagna,
and soups like Campbell’s and Progresso
Peanut butter
Fruit squeezes and apple sauces
Granola and cereal bars

You can also make financial contributions to Feeding the Gulf Coast. One dollar can provide five meals. $135 can sponsor a child through the Backpack Program for an entire school year. $200 can sponsor a child through the School Pantry Program for an entire school year.

It takes a village

Together, we can get nutritious food to children in need. Helping WKRG News 5 and Feeding the Gulf Coast are these proud sponsors:

Greer’s
Baldwin EMC
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel
Greene & Phillips
Palmers Toyota Superstore
Palmers Airport Hyundai
Bryant Bank
Maronda Homes

There are many ways you can help children across the Gulf Coast. Donate at one of the many drop-off locations on the map and listed below. You can also help by spreading the word. Share this link on Facebook. Tell a co-worker and a friend.