The Food Bank of East Alabama celebrates over 20 years in service

OPELIKA, Ala. (WTVM) - The Food Bank of East Alabama and Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Opelika are celebrating a 20 year partnership, and 20 million pounds of food that’s been donated in the past 20 years.

The Food Bank of East Alabama has been able to provide more than 15 million meals to families in the past two decades.

News Leader 9 talked with the Food Bank Director, Martha Henk, who explains how this support has shaped the community.

“June 7th of the year 2000, we sent our truck out for the very first load of product, and the truck came back with 5,706 pounds. We thought that was just wonderful. We could not have imagined in our wildest dreams how far that support would grow to the point where it eventually surpassed 20 million pounds,” said Henk.

Henk says when they sent their first truck out in 2000, they could not imagine how far the support from Wal-Mart would go.

Over the years the food bank has collected enough food from the Wal-Mart Distribution Center to fill 800 18-wheelers and provide 15.4 million meals to help fight food insecurity in East Alabama.

The Food Bank of East Alabama partners with 225 agencies to provide food in seven counties.

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