Here is what your dollar donation could do for the Food Bank of North Alabama

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — A significant increase in grocery prices over the last five years has more families seeking help to put food on their tables from the Food Bank of North Alabama, and it’s why News 19 needs your help to “Fill the Food Bank.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, gro cery prices have increased 25% over the last five years.

According to Feeding America, in North Alabama, a little over 60% of people living in Madison and Limestone counties make too much money to qualify for government food assistance.

Development Director Bobby Bozeman with the Food Bank of North Alabama has been helping to serve the community since 2019. He’s seen just how much the need for food has increased for families here in the Tennessee Valley.

“In 2019, the Feeding America numbers we had for how many food insecure people were in North Alabama in our 11 county coverage area was right at about 80,000 people,” Bozeman said. “A couple years ago, that number went up to 150,000 people after COVID, and now it is 184,000.”

Bozeman says each dollar donated creates about seven meals.

To put into perspective just how far the non-profit organization can take a single dollar, eight items that can be found in a box donated to a family of four were purchased at a local grocery store.

Those same eight items, including peanut butter and cans of tuna, were purchased for $26. At that amount, the Food Bank of North Alabama can donate 182 meals to families in need.

“A large portion of the people we serve are out there working, but many just don’t make enough or are living paycheck to paycheck and any small disruption, whether it’s a medical bill, a flat tire, or like when the roads froze up back in January, anything like that can cause a person to experience food insecurity,” Bozeman explained.

The News 19 Fill the Food Bank campaign runs through Aug. 23. You can donate on the Fill the Food Bank donation website or by texting “FOODBANK” to 256-746-6112.

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