Meals to Missions Fundraiser: A Community Coming Together to Fight Childhood Hunger

What started as a simple idea became an incredible demonstration of our community's heart for helping children in need. On July 15th, Alabama Childhood Food Solutions launched our Meals to Missions Fundraiser with not one, but two wonderful kickoff events – a luncheon in Sylacauga and an evening dinner at the beautiful Crest Farm Barn. We're deeply grateful to Station 31 Kitchen for providing the delicious food that brought everyone together, and to Crest Farm Barn for generously donating their venue space to make the evening celebration possible. These events weren't just about great food and fellowship – they marked the beginning of something truly special.

From those kickoff events, 44 dedicated community members stepped up as peer-to-peer fundraisers, reaching out to their families, friends, and networks with hearts full of passion for helping hungry children. Their efforts were nothing short of amazing, raising an incredible $35,143 to support our mission! The generosity and commitment shown by these fundraisers and all who donated reflects the very best of our community spirit.

The impact of this fundraiser came to life on August 14th when 80 volunteers gathered at Double Oak Community Church for an inspiring meal-packing event. Together, we packed 10,000 nutritious meals that will make a real difference in children's lives. Twenty percent of these meals will directly support ACFS families right here in our local community, while 80% are being sent to families in Ghana who are facing food insecurity. Watching our community come together – from the youngest volunteers to seasoned helpers – was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we work side by side.

Every dollar raised through Meals to Missions is going directly to our Children's Backpack program, which is launching this week. This vital program provides over 10,000 meals each month to children who take them home on Fridays, ensuring they have proper nutrition throughout the weekend when school meals aren't available. To our amazing ACFS fundraisers, our dedicated volunteers, and all our community partners – thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The work of Alabama Childhood Food Solutions simply wouldn't be possible without your incredible support, and together we're making sure no child in our community goes hungry.per Markets Charities for partnering with us to fill a vital need and ensure children in our community don’t go hungry. Together, we are making a difference!