Partnership Brings New Snack Pantry To New Heights Community Resource Center

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) has launched a new snack pantry intended to help students and families facing food insecurity through a partnership with the nonprofit Rooted and Fresh Value grocery stores.

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The pantry, located at the New Heights Community Resource Center, is stocked weekly with snacks donated by Fresh Value customers.

Items include crackers, rice, canned goods, nut packs, juice boxes and other shelf-stable foods. This initiative also supplements an existing food pantry at New Heights that is primarily supplied by the West Alabama Food Bank.

“We’re excited to be able to provide food for our families and snacks for hungry kids,” New Heights Director Kalissa Bormann. “Feeding families is obviously a huge resource — and we’re thankful to Rooted and Fresh Value for helping us expand what we offer.”

TCS says students can request assistance directly or be referred by teachers, counselors or school social workers.

New Heights staff also prepare food bags and distribute them to families, students or schools, with many deliveries made to individual schools for on-site distribution.

“Sometimes a student will say, ‘My parents work at night, and I just need something easy I can make on my own,’” Bormann said. “That’s what this snack pantry is here for.”

The initiative began earlier this year when Fresh Value approached Rooted about addressing hunger in local schools. Rooted — a nonprofit that connects families with mental health and therapeutic services — partnered with the district to turn the idea into reality.

“We can’t expect positive outcomes for children when they’re hungry,” Rooted founder Liz Kindred said. “Food security is foundational. This partnership allows us to meet immediate needs while supporting broader mental and emotional wellness.”

Rooted says it collects donations from Fresh Value bins each week and delivers them to New Heights.

Kindred, a TCS parent, said the organization is seeking additional community partners to sustain and grow the program.

“We’d love to work with churches, civic groups or businesses who want to host snack drives,” she said. “Even adding more nutrient-dense items would be a huge help.”

The pantry is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and managed by New Heights staff in collaboration with school-based social workers.

“We’re grateful for this partnership,” TCS Social Work Coordinator Tesney Davis said. “It’s helping us fill in the gaps and make sure students go to school with full bellies — and ready to learn.”

Click here for more information or contact New Heights at (205) 759-3549.

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