The East Alabama Food Bank is part of the Second Harvest network of 188 regional food banks in the United States and Puerto Rico. Second Harvest distributes more than one billion pounds of donated frozen, fresh, and dry foods annually. The EAFB provides food to member agencies, such as churches and other organizations, for 14 cents per pound. The member agencies then distribute the food without charge to needy individuals and families. EAFB serves member agencies in Lee, Macon, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Randolph, and Russell counties.
Food banks are important to agricultural producers in a number of ways.
Food banks organize gleaning programs that use volunteers to collect crops from farmer's fields that might otherwise go to waste. Mechanical harvesting often leaves residual fruits or vegetables in the field, and at times it is not economical for farmers to fully harvest their crops. When crop markets falter or fail, food banks provide an outlet for perishable items that yields a tax benefit for producers on commodities that would otherwise be wasted or sold at a great loss. The urban agencies were defined as those operating in Lee County, with all agencies outside Lee County defined as rural. After conducting informal interviews with the 12 food pantry directors, a sample of 10 clients from each pantry location was selected to be interviewed in person.