For families across North Alabama who need a little help putting food on the table, getting donated food where it needs to go matters.
A $350,000 investment from Publix Super Markets Charities will help the Food Bank of North Alabama do just that, making it easier to collect, track, and distribute food throughout the region.
The Food Bank received two grants that will help pay for a vehicle to pick up grocery store donations, a new bar-coding system at its Huntsville distribution center and other equipment. The upgrades are expected to streamline operations and make it easier to handle food donations and distribution.
The investment comes as 206,820 people in the region experience food insecurity, including nearly 60,000 children.
“We would love to see fewer people experience food insecurity, however we are so grateful for corporate partners like Publix Charities who step up in times like this to meet the need,” Food Bank of North Alabama CEO Shirley Schofield said. “They understand that people are at their best when they don’t have to stress about where their next meal will come from, and that our community is at its best when people aren’t going hungry.”
The North Alabama grants are part of a much larger effort by Publix Super Markets Charities to fight hunger across the Southeast.
Publix Charities announced a $25 million investment in 2026 to support more than 350 food banks and other nonprofit organizations, including 43 Feeding America partner food banks. The funding is the largest donation from Publix Charities to address food insecurity and includes money for vehicles and other capital improvements.
“As a food retailer, we believe our greatest opportunity to give back is helping feed our neighbors in need — a responsibility we take to heart,” Publix CEO Kevin Murphy said. “I’m proud of our associates for taking the time to come together and make a real difference where they live and work. We are also grateful to Publix Charities for its generous support and working with food banks throughout the Southeast to provide nourishment to our communities.”
The latest grants continue a relationship between Publix and the Food Bank of North Alabama that stretches back several years.
In 2024, Publix reported that it had donated more than 2.68 million pounds of produce to the Food Bank of North Alabama since 2020.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
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