Bay Area Food Bank preps for Isaac

THEODORE, Ala. (WALA) - As a member of the Feeding America network, Bay Area Food Bank is working with our national disaster relief staff, the Director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and the Director of the Florida Association of Food Banks to prepare for landfall of Isaac.

Staff members are also participating in coordination calls with emergency management authorities to understand where help is needed.

The food bank has several tractor trailer loads of food supplies and water stored from the National Association of Letter Carrier's Food Drive collected in Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama and Santa Rosa County Florida during the May food drive.

In addition to already stocked supplies, the food bank’s two warehouses have space available for more than six additional tractor trailer loads (approximately 200,000 meals) of frozen food and room for well over fifteen tractor trailer loads (approximately 500,000 meals) in the dry goods warehouse spaces.

The food bank’s main warehouse in Theodore is equipped with a back-up generator to ensure all food is preserved and the facility can operate in spite of power outages. Feeding America has prepositioned supplies of food and water in Louisiana and Tennessee to send the food banks once the storm makes landfall and needs are determined.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Bay Area Food Bank distributed over 2 million pounds of food in the first 14 days after the storm thanks to donated transportation in the form of pickup trucks and trailers from area churches. The food bank now has a fleet of 10 tractor trailers and box trucks capable of transporting over 100,000 meals per day to serve areas in need. Should more support be required, Feeding America partners stand ready to provide additional truck and staff.

“As always, we hope that the storm subsides and causes no serious damage; but, the food bank is prepared to help if people are in need,” said Executive Director Dave Reaney.