The Meal Barrel Project

Hello everyone! We are currently navigating through a huge number of delivery applications, and we are working hard to get you assigned to a driver.

We are also looking for additional volunteer delivery drivers who can complete the necessary training. I currently need about 8-10 more delivery drivers who are able to deliver on Tuesday and or Wednesday evenings and are willing to submit to soft background check.

Dear Community,

We want to inform you of some important changes at The Meal Barrel Project. As we transition our operations to a new satellite format, we will be completely unable to assist with food emergencies.

However, there are several food pantries in the area that remain open to assist those in need. If you or someone you know is facing food insecurity, please dial 2-1-1 to locate the nearest open food pantry.

We greatly appreciate your understanding and are deeply apologetic for the inconvenience.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Penny Freeman
The Meal Barrel Project

Special THANK YOU to our friends and partners at CertainTeed for volunteering to assist with our moving and packing needs today!

If you are unable to source food from the Cherokee location and have not registered to receive delivery consideration, I have made an online form that will assist you in this effort. Please fill out the form and someone will get back to you as soon as you are assigned to a driver. Please be advised that not having a valid application on file (meaning, you are either new or havent sourced food from us since June 26th), you will not be eligible for delivery until we are able to get your application approved.

themealbarrelproject.wufoo.com

Ways you can help:
Clean up day at Sheffield location TUESDAY August 13th from 10-6pm.
310 Wilhoyt St
Sheffield, Al 35660

Volunteers needs in Cherokee WEDNESDAY, 8/14, from noon until 9
267 Claude Posey Rd.
Cherokee, Al 35616

FINAL CLEAN UP IN SHEFFIELD Thursday, 8/15, from 8-4pm ir until finished.

Please help if youre available.

Thanks so much

From two shelves on a bookshelf in an old country church to our locations in Sheffield and Vina ( and now Cherokee), I have watched in total amazement as God consistently does what only He can. I have seen the Glory of the Lord in the work we have done, and I count it all joy!

As we wrap up in Sheffield, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been part of this journey.

To our volunteers who will be unable to make the trip to Cherokee: We greatly appreciate your heartfelt service to our community. Your dedication has made a lasting impact, and you will always be part of our Meal Barrel family.

To the new delivery drivers, partners, and volunteers who will begin their journey with us in Cherokee: Welcome aboard! We are so glad to have you with us as we continue this important work.

If you require delivery services but have not yet contacted me, please do so at your earliest convenience.

And last, but certainly not least, to the volunteers who have served with us for years and will continue serving in Cherokee: Thank you, and I love each of you. You have propped me up, backed me up, and learned your craft so well that I could take sick days and know that everything was moving smoothly. You all are the absolute best part of The Meal Barrel, and we couldn't do this without you.

As we prepare to begin operations in Cherokee, please be reminded that our layout will change due to our building not being fully ready for use. We will be operating outside for a short time until the necessary repairs are made. Your admin will give you instructions when your ID is scanned. Please be patient with us during this transition; it’s new for everyone.

We are so grateful for our time in Sheffield and know that we are coming to Cherokee in a much-needed time. Please feel free to reach out with any questions concerning this week's donation.

Our new location in Cherokee is:
267 Claude Posey Rd.
Cherokee, Al 35616

Thank you all for your continued support. Keep the prayers coming.

Yours in service,
Penny Freeman

ECC 3:1
ROM 8:28

Hello,
This evening beginning at 6pm, we will have our last donation from the Sheffield location. We will need extra volunteers to help with making this as fast and efficient as possible. Please let me know if you are available to assist.

Additionally, we will need volunteer delivery drivers to pick up food donation boxes from our Cherokee location for delivery to families who will be unable to make it to Cherokee. Please understand that for safety reasons we will require that delivery drivers attend our training, present a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance, and submit to a soft background check.

Dear Community,

We have found a new warehouse space in the old Cherokee Middle School, located at 267 Claude Posey Rd, Cherokee, Alabama, about 13 miles from our current location. At this point, we are unclear as to whether or not this will be our donation location as we are still hopeful for a satelite location in the Shoals (more information to come as its available).

We understand that distributing from Cherokee may cause significant inconvenience, especially for those who walk to our current location and our elderly community members who may find driving the distance challenging. We deeply apologize for the disruption this may cause and want to assure you that we are committed to continuing our services without interruption.

Our Commitment:

We will strive to serve with minimal disruptions.
We will engage volunteers to assist with deliveries and continue our fight against food insecurity in the Shoals Area.
We are actively seeking the funds to secure a new, more accessible location in the Shoals area.

How You Can Help:

Transportation may be a significant concern for many of our community members. We are calling on churches, businesses, and community members who can assist in this effort. If you can volunteer to deliver food, please contact me directly via phone, email, or text message.

Your support and dedication are crucial to us, and together, we can ensure that everyone in our community continues to receive the help they need during this transition.

Transition Details:

Last Donation Day in Sheffield: August 7th
Planned First Donation Day at New Location: August 14th (Appointments start at 2 PM, regular donations at 6 PM).
*We are still uncertain if the new warehouse will serve as our donation location. Due to the scale of our operation, it may prove necessary to find another site for donations to better serve our patrons and operations teams.

Special Thanks:

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Colbert County Board of Education and Superintendent Chris Hand for their efforts in helping us secure warehouse space, and to Tennessee Valley Authority, United Treating & Distribution LLC, Weisse USA, and so many others for their partnerships and support during this challenging time. Your assistance has been invaluable in making this transition possible.

Contact Information:

📞 Phone/ 📱 Text: (256) 810-4289
📧 Email: [email protected]

And To our clients, we love you. Thank you for your understanding, patience, and unwavering prayers of support. We are committed to finding a space in the Shoals as soon as possible. Keep on praying for us. We're still fighting for you!

Yours in service,

Penny Freeman
Founding Director
Community 4Ward Projects: The Meal Barrel Project

I need to take a minute to say a very special Thank You to TVA in their support of programs at The Meal Barrel. You all are an invaluable resource and we are so thankful to have you all as partners. Your assistance to our efforts ALWAYS far exceeds expectation. Thank you for your continued service and support.

We are pleased to announce our partnership with Randy Holm and Shoals Bliss! Today we celebrated “Everyone Deserves a Massage” Day, and Mr. Holm observed the occasion by offering free massages to our clients and volunteers. Thank you so very much for including The Meal Barrel in this tribute to wellness, and for making so many people feel special.

Hello everyone!! We will need additional volunteer support this evening (1pm-10pm) as we had a group to need to reschedule their volunteer service day. Please PM me if you’re interested in volunteering.

Please remember to wear closed toe shoes, and understand that we don’t have air conditioning.

Thanks in advance!!

**To Our Community,**

We have received concerns regarding the operation of The Meal Barrel Project and the eligibility of some recipients. We would like to clarify the following points to ensure transparency and understanding:

1. Information Verification:
Food pantries, including ours, are responsible for taking the information provided by potential recipients as true. We compile this information as outlined by the application and submit it to the state, we are not responsible for verifying the accuracy of this information. While some pantries may choose to verify information or request supporting documentation, the state interpretation of the Federal USDA application is that information is to be taken as self-attesting. This means we are to accept the information provided (meaning the answers to the questions we ask to complete the application process) and leave the verification process to the Alabama Department of Education.
For more details, you can refer to [Section 251.5 of Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-251/section-251.5).

2. We use an electronic application process where we will scan your identification (which fills in most of our paperwork for you) and ask the remaining questions to complete the application. For each visit to the food pantry following the completion of your application, your driver’s license will be scanned to serve as an electronic signature for that day’s food benefits.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND:
1. An electronic document is EXACTLY THE SAME as a paper document and is legally recognized as such.
2. An electronic signature is EXACTLY THE SAME as a handwritten signature, and carries the same legal consequences as a handwritten signature.

Details of our intake process is outlined in the included video link:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/705435807131177?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=0VwfS7

3. Reporting Concerns:
If you believe someone has received food benefits in error or misused these benefits, please understand this event to be a state issue and not a program issue, and direct your complaint to the Alabama Department of Education. Compile your complaint and any supporting documentation and report it to:

**Alabama Department of Education:**
50 N Ripley St
Montgomery, AL 36104
334-694-4900

4. Proxy Recipients:
Many individuals who come through our line are delivering food to others in need. The state department allows proxies to receive food on behalf of others and deliver it to them, ensuring those unable to come in person still receive the assistance they need.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to serve our community. If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you,
The Meal Barrel Project Team

---

We will begin applications for the 2024-2025 donation year. Everyone, EVEN IF YOU JUST WENT THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS LAST WEEK, will have to have a new application completed. We do this process annually unless otherwise specified at the time of the application. If it’s been a while and you’d like a refresher on how this process will go, please notice the following link to provide clarity.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/705435807131177?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=0VwfS7

NOTE: We will scan your identification (which fills in most of our paperwork for you) and ask the remaining questions to complete the application. For each visit to the food pantry following the completion of your application, your driver’s license will be scanned to serve as an electronic signature for that day’s food benefits.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND:
1. An electronic document is EXACTLY THE SAME as a paper document and is legally recognized as such.
2. An electronic signature is EXACTLY THE SAME as a handwritten signature, and carries the same legal consequences as a handwritten signature.

*The new application process tends to slow us down a bit, so we are planning to start earlier to make up for the delay. How early we are able to start depends on how quickly our volunteers arrive. Start time will definitely be after 4pm.

Also note: PER STATE DECREE (2017): all applications are self-attesting, meaning you will not be asked to validate the information you present. THAT BRING SAID, all applications go to the state, and if they [the state of Alabama] determine you have received food benefits in error, they can choose to manage the case in civil court. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to answer truthfully.

List of reduced services as of 6/30/24:

1. We will begin to reduce available resources, starting with pet, baby, and hygiene items. These items are harder to keep in stock, and while we still have items in each category available, we will not reorder once they are out of stock.

2. We are consolidating our service days to ONCE, WEEKLY, effective immediately. *If you are receiving food on Thursdays by appointment, you will need to call 256-810-4289 on Wednesdays between noon and 2pm to reserve a same day benefits appointment. More information on how this change will be managed will come in later posts.
3. We will stop mass purchasing meat and frozen goods effective immediately. We still have some meat and frozen items and will distribute what we have, but will not be making further purchases. THAT BEING SAID, you will still have access to fresh produce, shelf stable goods, and bakery items.
4. We will have extremely limited ability to attend to food emergencies outside operating hours.
5. We will not be purchasing any more supplies for bladder incontinence or menstruation. We still have an extremely limited supply of these goods available, but once they’re out of stock, we won’t reorder.

We will be closed on Thursday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day. Additionally, we will reduce services to serving on Wednesdays only. No further services will be rendered on Thursdays.

Hello everyone!!

I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful day. I have a few announcements to keep you up-to-speed with our operations.

Beginning Wednesday, July 3rd,:
1. SERVICES REDUCTION: We are consolidating our service days to ONCE, WEEKLY, effective immediately. *If you are receiving food on Thursdays by appointment, you will need to call 256-810-4289 on Wednesdays between noon and 2pm to reserve a same day benefits appointment. More information on how this change will be managed will come in later posts.
2. FURTHER REDUCED SERVICES: we will stop mass purchasing meat and frozen goods effective immediately. We still have some meat and frozen items and will distribute what we have, but will not be making further purchases. THAT BEING SAID, you will still have access to fresh produce, shelf stable goods, and bakery items.
3. EVEN FURTHER SERVICES REDUCTION: We will have extremely limited ability to attend to food emergencies outside operating hours.
4. STILL FURTHER SERVICES REDUCTION: We will not be purchasing any more supplies for bladder incontinence or menstruation. We still have an extremely limited supply of these goods available, but once they’re out of stock, we won’t reorder.
5. PLEASE DON’T ARRIVE BEFORE 4:30, UNLESS YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT: We are in the hottest part of the year. For your safety, we ask that you please, PLEASE resist the urge to arrive hours ahead of our opening time. We love you and want to stay as healthy as possible. Excessive heat is potentially dangerous, and we aren’t able to monitor your status inside the cars.
6. We will begin applications for the 2024-2025 donation year. Everyone, EVEN IF YOU JUST WENT THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS LAST WEEK, will have to have a new application completed. We do this process annually unless otherwise specified at the time of the application. If it’s been a while and you’d like a refresher on how this process will go, please notice the following link to provide clarity.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/705435807131177?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=0VwfS7

NOTE: We will scan your identification (which fills in most of our paperwork for you) and ask the remaining questions to complete the application. For each visit to the food pantry following the completion of your application, your driver’s license will be scanned to serve as an electronic signature for that day’s food benefits.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND:
1. An electronic document is EXACTLY THE SAME as a paper document and is legally recognized as such.
2. An electronic signature is EXACTLY THE SAME as a handwritten signature, and carries the same legal consequences as a handwritten signature.

*The new application process tends to slow us down a bit, so we are planning to start earlier to make up for the delay. How early we are able to start depends on how quickly our volunteers arrive. Start time will definitely be after 4pm.

Also note: PER STATE DECREE (2017): all applications are self-attesting, meaning you will not be asked to validate the information you present. THAT BRING SAID, all applications go to the state, and if they [the state of Alabama] determine you have received food benefits in error, they can choose to manage the case in civil court. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to answer truthfully.

PLEASE LIKE AND SHARE

UPDATE:

We are still operating at the old National Guard Armory in Sheffield as we search for a new location. We have also launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for this transition.

Please be aware of the following updates:

Resource Reduction: We will begin to reduce available resources, starting with pet, baby, and hygiene items. These items are harder to keep in stock, and while we still have items in each category available, we will not reorder once they are out of stock.

Consolidated Operations: Starting July 3rd, we will consolidate our operations to one day per week to allow our volunteers to focus on the transition process.

As always, we remain dedicated to serving those in need. We will provide information concerning a new location via posts on this page as soon as we have it.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

Penny Freeman

Donate to Support The Meal Barrel Project's Relocation, organized by Penny Freeman We are reaching out to you with a sense of urgency and desperation. The Mea… Penny Freeman needs your support for Support The Meal Barrel Project's Relocation

UPDATE:

We are still operating at the old National Guard Armory in Sheffield as we search for a new location. We have also launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for this transition.

Please be aware of the following updates:

Resource Reduction: We will begin to reduce available resources, starting with pet, baby, and hygiene items. These items are harder to keep in stock, and while we still have items in each category available, we will not reorder once they are out of stock.

Consolidated Operations: Starting July 3rd, we will consolidate our operations to one day per week to allow our volunteers to focus on the transition process.

As always, we remain dedicated to serving those in need. We will provide information concerning a new location via posts on this page as soon as we have it.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support!

Penny Freeman

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-meal-barrel-projects-relocation?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=customer&utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&attribution_id=sl:f0b11b42-36e4-4cf5-a419-6b2f6ea2c6f4

Hello and good morning everyone!!!

We will be open today!! Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will not receive a product truck, but we will dry goods available.

Here is the schedule:

11am: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!! All available begin arriving to help prepare for the donation event.

12-2pm: make appointments. Call 256-810-4289 to get schedule your arrival time.

3pm: begin first appointment wave.

4:45: last appointment wave.

5: open to public

How many VOLUNTEERS are available by 2:30?

PM me if you’re new.

Hello everyone! Quick note from admin:

Due to a personal emergency in our staff, we may be a little slower than usual responding to messages and requests over the next few days. Please note the severe weather closing for tonight (Wed., June 5th, 2024), and feel free to reach out if you need us – we will respond as we are able.

Thank you so much for understanding!

Hello and good morning!
We will be closed today, Wednesday, June 5th, due to the increasing threat of inclement weather. We are unclear of whether or not we will be able to open tomorrow, Thursday, June 6th, due to the possibility of flooding from today’s storms.

We are so very sorry for any inconvenience.

Stay safe!

We wanted to give you all a quick update on our search for a new location. Despite our best efforts and looking everywhere, we have yet to find a suitable place for our new premises. We know how important our services are to many families, and we remain fully committed to providing food and personal items to those in need.

We are still open and here for you! Your support and trust keep us going strong.

We kindly request your prayers as we continue our search. Additionally, we invite you to attend the council meeting this coming Monday to show your support for The Meal Barrel Project. The work session will begin at 5 PM, with the meeting directly following.

Meeting Location:
Sheffield City Hall
600 N Montgomery Ave
Sheffield, Al 35660

Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time. Together, we can continue to make a difference.

Hello everyone!! We will need additional volunteer support tomorrow evening (4pm-9pm) as we had a group to need to reschedule their volunteer service day. Please PM me if you’re interested in volunteering.

Please remember to wear closed toe shoes, and understand that we don’t have air conditioning.

Thanks in advance!!

A growing number of students rely on free school meals. What happens in the summer? A growing number of states have implemented free lunches for all students in recent years, making the school year easier for families who are food insecure. But the summer is a different story.

Who do we serve?

Special thanks to TVA and the TVA Retirees who served with us! Thanks so very much for your continued support and partnership!