Who we are

Our Mission

In the spirit of togetherness, Table of Grace works to end food insecurity and promote community in West Alabama.

Our Vision

To create a world where everyone has a table of abundance

Two women standing in front of a grocery store shelf with various snacks and food items, smiling and giving thumbs up.

Our Values

  • Table of Grace is guided by the mission of Grace Presbyterian Church. We celebrate Christ’s universal love. We seek to do justice, embrace kindness, and walk humbly with God.

  • Table of Grace’s primary goal is to ensure that those who are hungry have food. “I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25: 35 CEB)

  • Table of Grace is guided by these beliefs:

    • Feeding people should always involve dignity and human connection.

    • People deserve to have agency over what they eat, when, and how.

    • Together we are stronger: we collaborate with individuals and organizations seeking to amplify their impact in tackling food injustice.

    • Education is a mutual and essential element of expanding food justice work.

    • Community is ever-evolving, inclusive, and expansive.

    • Beauty, peace, and conversation guide our aesthetic and programming.

Our History

Four women standing together in a well-lit indoor space, smiling at the camera. Behind them is a table with various items, and posters and signs on the walls.
Group of nine diverse adults standing in front of a church building under a large banner that reads 'Table of Grace, Grace Presbyterian Church'.
Group of ten diverse adults outdoors holding gardening tools, smiling, standing on grass in front of a building with a tree.

When Grace Presbyterian Church formed from the merger of University and Covenant Presbyterian Churches, the newly formed congregation began envisioning its new identity and priorities. Quickly, it became clear that the first major area of growth the church wanted to invest in was expanding its long-standing, vibrant food ministry. Thus began the work to build a new building dedicated to an expanded food market with client choice: Table of Grace!

Table of Grace as it exists today began as Deacons Food Pantry, a collective effort on the part of members of then-University Presbyterian Church to give emergency bags of food to families and individuals on an as-needed basis. In 1996, the program was formalized under the leadership of a team of deacons, and they became an Agency of the USDA-accredited West Alabama Food Bank. Distribution grew from limited to twice a month, nine months out of the year.

After Cathy C. Hoop joined the church as pastor in 2013, the program saw increased interest, and a professional was hired to manage the food pantry. In 2015, the Pantry relocated from its original location in a closet at University Presbyterian to the Covenant Presbyterian campus. The added parking and dedicated space enabled it to expand to year-round distribution. To signal the new partnership, the name was changed to Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry in January 2016.

University Presbyterian formally merged with Covenant Presbyterian to form the new Grace Presbyterian Church in January 2017. Table of Grace opened in its new building at Grace Presbyterian in the fall of 2023.

Women organizing food items in paper bags inside a community center storage room.
An elderly woman wearing sunglasses, a white baseball cap with red lettering, and a gray t-shirt is tending to green leafy plants in a garden with raised wooden beds. There are trees and parked cars in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Garden and Education Program

The Table of Grace garden serves as a garden education space and a source of some produce for the food pantry. It supports our existing gleaning relationships and helps us build more of them with the community. Grants from the Tombigbee Resource, Conservation, & Development Council have enabled the creation of the Table of Grace Garden. RC&D grants are intended to help organizations make Alabama a better place to live, work, and play.

We are always looking for volunteers for this growing ministry throughout the year. Experienced gardeners and newbies who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get dirty are welcome. The Table of Grace building and grounds are designed as a space for community members to congregate around food. It is also for promoting education on food justice, sustainable gardening practices, community engagement, and the like. It serves as a hub for food justice work throughout West Alabama.

Work With Us

FAQs

What services do you offer?

1

Table of Grace is a client-choice food bank, meaning we offer our neighbors the choice of what food they receive. Instead of handing over a box of pre-packed food, we are like a grocery store, where neighbors are given a certain number of points with which they can shop. This also helps reduce food waste, as neighbors choose what they will actually use.

How do I get started as a neighbor?

2

Getting started is simple. We take new registrants during the last week of each month. We ask you to bring a photo ID and the names and birth dates of anyone who lives in your home.

Do you take donations?

3

Yes! Table of Grace offers several ways to donate. You can volunteer your time, donate non‑perishable food items like canned vegetables, meats, fruits, or soups, or give a monetary donation. Monetary donations help us purchase foods that our neighbors enjoy while supporting our mission and vision - and with every dollar you give, we can supply up to six meals! 

Once I’ve registered, how many times do I get to shop?

4

Once we tell you that you can start shopping, you may come once each month. Please do not miss more than three months in a row, or you will need to register again. If something stops you from coming for more than three months, call or email us, and we will work with you to stay enrolled. At this time, we are not able to deliver to homes.