West Alabama Food Bank

What West Alabama Food Bank does

West Alabama Food Bank (WAFB) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1987 and headquartered at 401 65th Street, Tuscaloosa, Alabama (EIN 63-0947676). Its core function is to secure, store, and distribute food through a network of more than 93 partner agencies, mobile pantries, and direct-delivery programs across nine West Alabama counties: Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa. The organization operates a 52,000 square foot warehouse with on-site cooler and frozen storage, a fleet of trucks, and is led by CEO Jean Rykaczewski with a roughly 16-person staff.

The program portfolio addresses specific hunger gaps rather than offering a unified platform product. Core programs include the Secret Meals backpack program (1,800 meals per week to school-age children facing weekend food insecurity), the Senior Brown Box and CSFP monthly grocery programs for eligible seniors age 60-65+, the 5th Quarter food salvage program at University of Alabama home games (recovering approximately 2,200 pounds per game), the Mobile Pantry and Mini Mobile Pantry direct-distribution programs serving food deserts and public housing, the Food Finder directory tool, SNAP benefits eligibility assistance, and the UA-AU Food Fight annual fundraising competition with Auburn University that has cumulatively raised over 6 million pounds across 25 years. Technology is non-proprietary and operational: physical warehouse infrastructure, a website with a zip-code-based food finder, and standard social media properties. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, API surface, or proprietary software.

The revenue model is donation-based across five streams: individual donations (with a stated efficiency metric of $1 equating to 6 meals, or alternatively $1 equating to more than $12 of food at retail value), corporate sponsorships from roughly ten large retailers and banks, foundation grants from at least five regional foundations, government support from the Tuscaloosa County Commission and three municipal governments, and in-kind food donations from wholesalers and grocers. Pricing is structured as sponsorship units rather than transactional fees ($1=6 meals, $130-$140 sponsors one child's weekend meals for an entire school year, $100 sponsors a senior's monthly Brown Box for a year). Distribution reaches 200,000+ children, families, and seniors annually, serving a regional population of more than 315,000 residents where food insecurity rates range from 15% to 31%, well above the national average of 12.7%.

Name

West Alabama Food Bank

Legal name

West Alabama Food Bank

Website

https://westalabamafoodbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

West Alabama Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1987 that secures, stores, and distributes food through 93+ partner agencies and mobile pantry programs to more than 200,000 food-insecure individuals, families, and seniors across nine West Alabama counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Hunger relief programs
• Food bank services
• Nonprofit food distribution
• Community food assistance
• Food insecurity programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Receives monetary donations from individuals; $1.00 equates to 6 meals for those in need
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Receives support from corporate sponsors including Aldi, Walmart, Target, Publix, Sams Club, Winn Dixie, Fresh Market, and local businesses
3. Foundation Grants: Receives funding from foundations including Daniel Foundation, HG Clay Foundation, Lonnie and Kitty Strickland Foundation
4. Government Support: Receives support from government entities including Tuscaloosa County Commission, Cities of Northport, Tuscaloosa, and Fayette
5. Food Donations from Wholesalers and Grocers: Receives bulk food donations from wholesalers, grocers, and distributors for senior programs and general distribution

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

West Alabama Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit hunger relief organization that secures, stores, and distributes food across nine West Alabama counties. It operates a 52,000-square-foot warehouse with cooler and frozen storage, manages a network of more than 93 partner agencies (pantries, churches, community centers), and runs direct-to-client programs including backpack meals for children, monthly brown box delivery for seniors, mobile and mini mobile pantries, food salvage from sporting events, and SNAP benefits assistance. The organization distributes millions of pounds of food annually and serves more than 200,000 children, families, and seniors.

Product overview

The West Alabama Food Bank operates as a single, unified nonprofit service organization rather than a platform product. The organization offers a portfolio of distinct hunger relief programs including the Secret Meals/Backpack Program for children, Senior Brown Box and CSFP for seniors, 5th Quarter food recovery from UA games, Mobile and Mini Mobile Pantry distribution, UA-AU Food Fight fundraising competition, Food Finder directory tool, SNAP benefits assistance, and a Member Agencies Network. These programs work together to address food insecurity across nine West Alabama counties, serving over 315,000 residents through direct distribution and partner agency networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secret Meals/Backpack Program A weekend nutrition program that supplies bags of nutritious food to school-age children who rely on free and reduced school meals, distributed discreetly through schools to bridge weekend and break-time hunger gaps.
• Senior Brown Box Program A monthly supplemental grocery box program serving eligible seniors age 65 and older across eight West Alabama counties, with groceries delivered during the fourth week of the month when most budgets are depleted.
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) A USDA-supported supplemental grocery program serving eligible individuals age 60 and older who live in select West Alabama counties.
• 5th Quarter Food Salvage Program A food salvage and recovery program that collects prepared food from University of Alabama home games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, with volunteers recovering approximately 2,200 pounds of food per game from vendors for redistribution to agencies.
• Mobile Pantry A direct distribution program that brings truckloads of nutritious food into underserved areas and food deserts, with a sponsoring agency identifying and prequalifying the families served.
• Mini Mobile Pantry A weekly mobile distribution program that brings food directly to public housing and senior neighborhoods in need across the service area.
• Member Agencies Network A network of more than 93 partner agencies (pantries, churches, community centers) that distribute food directly to clients in nine West Alabama counties; member agencies collectively distribute about 2 million pounds of food annually.
• UA-AU Food Fight (Beat Auburn Beat Hunger) An annual food and monetary drive competition between the University of Alabama and Auburn University that supports the food bank through events each October and November.
• Food Finder Directory A directory tool that helps users locate nearby food pantries by entering their zip code or address and generates a list of available pantries in their area.
• SNAP Benefits Assistance A service that helps connect individuals with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, including eligibility screening and application assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 donated equates to more than $12 of food (efficiency ratio)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with Feeding America, The Nation's Food Bank Network, providing access to national food sourcing, resources, and best practices
• Feeding AlabamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Alabama Food Bank Association, working with other food banks across the state
• University of AlabamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners through the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive competition and 5th Quarter program salvaging food from Bryant-Denny Stadium events
• Auburn UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners through the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive competition benefiting the West Alabama Food Bank
• Phi Gamma Delta FraternityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Alabama fraternity volunteers for 5th Quarter food salvage program
• Alpha Gamma Delta FraternityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Alabama fraternity volunteers for 5th Quarter food salvage program

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Food Bank of East Alabama: Regional food bank serving east Alabama (Auburn-Opelika area). Comparable mission and member-agency model with a similar rural/small-city service footprint and partnership with Feeding Alabama.
• Community Food Bank of Central Alabama: Regional Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving central Alabama (Birmingham and surrounding counties). Operates the same core model of food sourcing, warehousing, and partner-agency distribution to address food insecurity in a comparable rural/mixed-urban service area.
• Montgomery Area Food Bank: Regional Feeding America affiliate serving central Alabama including Montgomery. Comparable mission, member agency distribution model, and program portfolio (child hunger, senior programs, mobile pantries) serving a multi-county service area with elevated food insecurity.
• Food Bank of North Alabama: Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving north Alabama (Huntsville and surrounding counties). Directly comparable as a regional food bank operating a warehouse, partner agency network, and targeted programs (mobile pantry, backpack, senior boxes) in a similar state-level context.
• Foodbank of South Alabama: Feeding America-affiliated food bank based in Mobile serving southwest Alabama. Direct peer operating warehouse distribution and partner agency network across a multi-county service area with comparable programs and donor base.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella network for200+ affiliated food banks including WAFB. Provides national food sourcing, logistics, and policy advocacy that directly enables WAFB's operations; the broader incumbent in the same sector with overlapping capabilities but at national rather than regional scale.
• Feeding Alabama: State-level association of Alabama food banks of which WAFB is a member. Industry association and convening body for WAFB and its in-state peers, providing shared advocacy, training, and coordination across Alabama food banks.

Regional players

• Atlanta Community Food Bank: Large Feeding America affiliate in metro Atlanta. Operates a similar warehouse and partner agency model serving a multi-county Southeast service area; comparable program portfolio (mobile pantries, child hunger, senior programs) at meaningfully larger scale.
• Mid-South Food Bank: Feeding America affiliate serving the Memphis/Mid-South area. Operates a comparable regional warehouse and partner agency model, with similar rural-urban mix and elevated food insecurity in the service area; not a direct Alabama competitor but a close operating peer.

Others

• United Way of West Alabama: Regional nonprofit umbrella operating across the same West Alabama counties as WAFB. Not a direct food bank competitor but a frequent co-funder and collaborator on poverty-relief initiatives, sharing donor and corporate sponsor relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WestAL_FoodBank
• Facebookfacebook.com/WestAlabamaFoodBank
• Instagraminstagram.com/westal_foodbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westalabamafoodbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles32 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about West Alabama Food Bank