Coronavirus impacting North Alabama food banks

Coronavirus impacting North Alabama food banks

Deaths north alabama.

New information - across the country - food banks have been struggling to keep up with unprecedented demand during this pandemic.

In north alabama, food bank staffs said they're doing the best they can to still be able to provide for their communities as more people are faced with furloughs and job loss.

Waay 31's ashley carter joins us live now after she spoke to one local food bank about how they're handling this huge demand.

Ashley?

I'm in the warehouse at the food bank of north alabama....and you can see behind me they are doing pretty well when it comes to supplies right now.

But the executive director here told me it hasn't been easy to stay stocked - especially with so many mouths to feed.

Shirley schofield, executive director north alabama food bank: "it's really hard to compare it because we've never had anything quiet like this before" shirley sco-field has been working for the north alabama food bank for six years.

She said 5 months into 2020 - they've already fed more people than they usually do in a year!

Shirley schofield, executive director north alabama food bank: "if you compare the number of meals we've been able to provide this year compared to a normal year it's over 400,000 more meals just in this year alone."

Sco-field said thanks to their partners and community support....they have been able to keep up with the demand.

She said there's been a steady need for food since the pandemic started - since kids are still out of school and many businesses are still waiting to fully reopen.

But - she says some items are harder to get ahold of than others shirley schofield, executive director north alabama food bank: "some of the dry goods right now are still hard to come by from our regular grocery store partners and we understand that there's kind of been a run on some of the grocery stores by the public."

Right now sco-field says they have enough supplies to continue to help the community....but she doesn't know how long that'll last shirley schofield, executive director north alabama food bank: "i think we've got a pretty steady supply heading our way for the next month or so but after that its anyone's guess how it's really gonna play out."

But she says they will figure out how to be there for as long as needed shirley schofield, executive director north alabama food bank: "we will be in this for the long haul, we'll be here helping people throughout the economic and however the economy starts returning to normal we'll be here to help."

Schofield says her team has also been working hard to stay safe and sanitized so they'd be able to stay open and continue to help out.

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