Bank Independent is kicking off its seventh annual Food Share drive to benefit local food banks through the “Feed a Family for $5 with Food Share” campaign. All locations of the bank will serve as donation points for nonperishable food items and cash donations, which can also be donated by visiting bibank.com/help for PayPal. Bank Independent works with local partner organizations across their seven-county footprint to ensure donations are distributed to area families in need, bank organizers said.

This year’s drive starts today and will run through March 26.

Organizers said the 2020 drive was re-envisioned last year due to the local impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Early dismissal of local schools and restraints placed upon food banks, combined with a general sense of uncertainty in the community, prompted the Bank Independent community engagement team to find more direct ways to meet new demands from local shelters.

“Food insecurity in our community has always been the driving need behind our Food Share initiative,” said Macke Mauldin, president and CEO of BancIndependent. “The past year has highlighted how quickly that disparity can affect local families. The charities we support provide vital assistance for families undergoing hardships. We hope our Food Share efforts make a positive impact.”

“We have had important conversations with our local food bank partners to determine how we can best help this year,” said Nikki Randolph, community engagement officer at Bank Independent. “We learned that in the right hands, a simple donation of 5 dollars can feed a family for a day.”

Randolph said the bank built the 2021 Food Share drive around that theme and created three convenient ways for team members and customers to donate:

• At any of the 28 Bank Independent locations;

• Through PayPal; and

• Through partner businesses, all listed at bibank.com/help.

Donations will be distributed to local organizations that maintain food banks to fill emergency food needs, including Limestone County Churches Involved Inc., Committee on Church Cooperation in Morgan County, the Neighborhood Christian Center in Decatur, the Departments of Human Resources of Lawrence County and Franklin County, Sidney’s Safe! Foundation and The Meal Barrel Project in the Shoals, and Manna House in Huntsville.

As part of ongoing efforts to supplement the annual Food Share drive, the bank will donate 10 cents for every Bank Independent Debit Card transaction made at a grocery store, up to $10,000, March 1–15. The total will be distributed across the local partner organizations.

The Food Share drive is part of Bank Independent’s Helping Hands program, which also includes employee volunteer efforts, donations and sponsorships. Other Share drives include Shelter Share to benefit animal shelters, Toy Share to collect toys for the holidays and the School Share drive for school supplies.