HARVEST, Ala. (WHNT) — Hunger is a crisis in many communities, including in Harvest, right here in Madison County.
“I think that’s the thing that a lot of people don’t realize,” said Adam Walker, the Director of House of the Harvest. “Out here in the Harvest community, there is a great need.”
His organization, House of the Harvest, is working to provide a solution to families that are struggling to put food on the table.
“We just keep opening our doors and serving whoever shows up,” Walker said.
Walker said House of the Harvest started as an in-school food pantry with his wife, Jennifer, and several other teachers. He said they were able to see the impacts of hunger first-hand in the classroom.
“A lot of us teachers just kind of got together and rallied together and started making it happen at the school,” Walker said.
It eventually evolved into a much bigger operation, and it now operates out of an old fire station that the Walkers purchased from the Harvest Volunteer Fire Department for $1 in November of 2015.
House of the Harvest serves a weekly breakfast on Saturday mornings from 6:45 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. It’s free to anyone in the community who needs a warm meal.
House of the Harvest also does a weekly food distribution on Saturday mornings from 7:15 a.m. until 9:00 a.m.
Walker said it usually serves 170 to 200 families through the food distribution. However, he said this past weekend, it served closer to 200.
House of the Harvest provides pantry staple items at the food distributions. Walker said depending on the size of a family, food can make a big difference.
“For some people, it’s a bigger dent then for others, but it’s what we can do to help out,” he said.
Walker said the number of families ebbs and flows, but the need is usually greater during the winter. He said during the government shutdown, their doors remain open.
“We really just have no idea what’s going to happen, but we’ve been in that situation before,” Walker said. “I think back to COVID times, and we never knew what we were going to get, but there’s always been enough.”
“The Lord knows where it [food] needs to go and it’s always enough,” Walker added.
The organization relies on volunteers, and on Monday afternoon, a group of students from Madison Academy stopped by to help get things in order.
“We’re out here for serve day today and we’re unloading trailers of food, cleaning up and just making sure everything is good,” said volunteer Jake Allman.
Both the Saturday grocery distribution and breakfast are free to anyone in the community.
“They don’t have to bring anything to qualify, just show up Saturday mornings,” Walker said.
House of the Harvest is celebrating its 10th anniversary on November 1. Walker said helping the community and making a difference is what keeps them going.
House of the Harvest is located at 9144 Wall Triana Hwy, Harvest, AL 35749.
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