Bay Area Food Bank was able to hire a retail store coordinator thanks to a $55,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation. The coordinator, a first for the food bank’s Florida service area, will work with retailers throughout the area to help secure more food to help feed those in need. Bay Area Food Bank was one of the 16 food banks across the continental US and Puerto Rico to be awarded a retail store coordinator grant.
“This added position to our staff will help the food bank work closely with our retail partners to ensure we are able to provide the food necessary to meet the needs of the families at risk of hunger in the Florida Panhandle,” said Bay Area Food Bank’s Executive Director, Dave Reaney. Currently, Bay Area Food Bank’s Retail Store Level Pickup Program provides nearly 6 million pounds of food annually – accounting for 38% of the food bank’s total pounds distributed. About Bay Area Food Bank Bay Area Food Bank serves a 24-county area spanning south Mississippi, south Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. In 2012, the food bank distributed over 16 million pounds of food to more than 500 church pantries, soup kitchens and other nonprofit organizations throughout its service area. The food bank also operates multiple nutrition programs, including Summer Food Service, Afterschool Snack, Backpack, Disaster Relief, Mobile Pantry, and SNAP Outreach. Recently, the food bank was named one of Charity Navigator’s top ten “Top-Notch” charities. Bay Area Food Bank is a United Way agency and a member of Feeding America. For more information, visit www.bayareafoodbank.org.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Bay Area Food Bank welcomes new member thanks to $55,000 Walmart grant