FAMILY FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS
Partner Agency Food Distribution Program
The primary way that we distribute food in our 18 county service area is through a collaborative partnership with more than 350 non-profit partner agencies and churches. These partners provide food assistance directly to people facing hunger in their neighborhoods. agencies include soup kitchens, food pantries, senior and youth centers, churches, and other non-profit agencies. The most important part of the partnership is to provide food accessibility to the many food insecure families throughout our service area.
Mobile Pantry Program
Mobile Pantries serve clients in each of our 18 counties. In rural areas of Georgia, our Mobile Pantry Program allows us to provide food to more than 12,000 families a month where there is limited access to a grocery store or an emergency food pantry.
Our clients receive a food box containing canned and groceries that are packed by our volunteers. Food boxes are delivered to each of our counties on a designated schedule to 48 sites each month. These are intended to be a monthly supplement for the recipient and include a variety of groceries that can be used to make several meals. In addition, frozen meats, fresh produce, dairy, and bakery items are also included.
Click here to view our mobile pantry schedule.
Senior Meals Program
This program is sponsored by churches and non-profit organizations and serves our elderly and homebound neighbors. Approximately 200 hot, nutritious meals are prepared in our kitchen daily and delivered to these organizations to distribute to people who have registered for this program.
For more information, email mremington@feedingthevalley.org.
Mobile Farmer’s Market Truck
Feeding the Valley’s Mobile Farmer’s Market Truck delivers free fresh fruits and vegetables to senior citizens with limited access to healthy foods. Using a walk-up model, it serves pre-selected seniors in food deserts or areas with access challenges, promoting better nutrition. While the program is not available for general requests, it is thoughtfully tailored to serve specific communities with the greatest need.
The Neighbor Market
Unlike a traditional pantry, neighbors shop for themselves, choosing the foods that fit their family’s tastes, needs, and routines. The space is designed to feel like a small neighborhood grocery store, with shelves, coolers, and freezers stocked with a variety of nutritious options. Neighbors grab a cart, browse the aisles, and select foods they know their families will enjoy.
Food as Medicine Program
The Food as Medicine Program offers patients with diet-related illnesses access to 10 nutritious, medically tailored meals each week for 90 days. This program supports individuals who face barriers to accessing food that meets their specific health needs. Participation is by referral from a healthcare provider.
For more information, email our Food as Medicine Coordinator, Lauren Lindauer, at llindauer@feedingthevalley.org.
SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS
Feeding the Valley works closely with the Tuskegee VA Medical Center, the VFW, Warrior Outreach, Community Warriors and Ft. Moore (Ft. Benning) to provide food to soldiers and veterans when needed.
CHILDREN’S FOOD DISTRIBUTION
According to Feeding America, more than 500,000 children in Georgia are food insecure. In our 18-county service area, one in five children does not have access to healthy, nutritious food. School Food Pantries are becoming more common in schools. These are food closets that are set up inside the school for children to pick up a quick healthy snack or take-home food items for their families.
Kids Café Program
Our Kids Café Program is a vital outreach to children experiencing food insecurity. Lack of proper nutrition can impact physical and mental health and cause learning and development problems in children. In the United States today, nearly 16 million children face hunger.
Kids Café offers nutritious hot meals and snacks to children after school at various sites in public housing neighborhoods, churches, and community centers, every weekday throughout the school year. We prepare more than 10,000 healthy, nutritious meals weekly in our commercial kitchen at our central warehouse and deliver these meals to 28 locations in Muscogee County, GA, Dougherty County and Russell County, AL.
For more information, email mremington@feedingthevalley.org.
Kids Summer Café
In the summer months, when school is out, we expand the Kids Café Program to some of our rural areas in addition to our normal Kids Café locations, increasing to 43 sites for ten weeks.
For more information, email mremington@feedingthevalley.org.
Buddy Pack Program
Hunger doesn’t take the weekend off, and our Buddy Pack Program serves children who live in food-insecure homes and are likely to experience hunger on weekends. This program bridges the gap between the school week and the weekend when free breakfasts and lunches are not available. Students are identified by school counselors to participate in this program. With parental approval and using discretion to protect the privacy of the student, children receive nutritious, child-friendly, ready-to-eat foods every Friday in their backpacks. Churches and organizations sponsor this program as their community outreach.
For more information on the Buddy Pack Program, email Amanda Jones at ajones@feedingthevalley.org.
Snack Program
Our Snack Program offers healthy afternoon snacks for children attending after-school programs at churches, youth centers and various special youth programs in the community.
For more information, email mremington@feedingthevalley.org.