Alder Springs ‘Blessings Box’ offers food to those in need

ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — An Albertville community center is working to address food insecurity in their community. 

“People who want to help can put cans back in the blessing box,” Alder Springs Community Center President Jackie Riddle said. “They get a blessing by helping somebody else and the people who receive it get a blessing…so you get a double blessing from it.”

The three-foot-by-two box sits in the driveway of the Alder Springs Community Center. It’s filled with non-perishable foods for those who might have food insecurities.

“Canned food, canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese, canned meat…some ladies even put toboggans in there and some people have talked to me about putting a blanket or two in there for the cold weather,” Alder Springs Community Center Vice President Sheila Banks said. “I don’t know of any homeless people here, but if there is…there’s stuff out there for them.”

A new report by the non-profit Hunger Free America shows the number of Alabamians living with daily hunger, including children, is growing.

According to the study, the number of people facing daily hunger between 2021 and 2023 in the state grew over 44% – going from over 300,000 two years ago to nearly a half million in 2023. Overall, twelve percent of the state’s population goes hungry regularly.

“Life happens, and some of these people that are out here are desperate – and some of them may run out of food for the month,” Banks said. “They are welcome to come out and find out if there’s something in there they can finish their meals with.”

The center says that’s why this box exists – to help people in need. No questions asked.

If you’d like to donate non-perishable food items for the blessing box, you can drop them off in the box or call the community center at (256) 572-8969 ahead of your giving.

“If people hear this and have a need, that’s what we want them to do…use the box. That’s what we got it set up for – to help somebody else,” added Riddle. 

The box is open 24/7 and is located at 5867 Hustleville Road in Albertville.