A large warehouse sits on Industrial Road. It's packed to the brim with mountains of boxed food and stocked shelves. It is the East Alabama Food Bank.
Inside contains a remarkable story of faith, charity and a woman's persistent hard work for a community.
Martha Henk, executive director of the EAFB, coincidentally began her career on All Saints' Day 18 years ago. She later realized her choice to join the food bank's team was another small piece of "God's plan" for her.
She is persistent in her humbling and serving spirits, exemplified by her quick reaction time when a client is in need.
Several years ago, she encountered an elderly woman who was living off of rice and cat food. Henk immediately organized a nutrient-filled food supply.
This client's story is one of many. Due to Henk's efforts, the food bank has the chance to reach seven counties, holding firmly to their belief that no person should go hungry.
"I will always work in the nonprofit world," Henk said.
Henk's selfless choice has remarkably affected a community much larger than her. She has high hopes for the food bank and will be there to watch it make a continuous impact.
Henk was born and raised in the Congo by missionaries and stayed there until high school.
"They set this marvelous example of service for me," Henk said. "All I can say is God calls people into certain fields, and it just happens to be what I'm called to do."
Henk's first experience of helping others began when she moved to the United States, Henk knew the line of work she was meant to do.
"I was working at a nonprofit organization called Presbyterian Community Ministries," Henk said. "Basically, what we did was provide no-interest loans to people for housing-related issues."
However, in 1995, Hurricane Opal swept through the southeast, destroying thousands of homes in its path. This storm affected many of Henk's clients, who were distraught with uncertainty. Her phone rang off the hook the week she returned to work.
"All of the calls were for food," Henk said. "It struck me you can live with a leaking roof, and you can live without your power for a while."
As time passed, she realized people's fundamental need for food. That same year, Henk was called to work at the food bank.
The food bank was first housed in Auburn City Hall. It only assisted a couple of food agencies, providing 4,000 pounds at most for a few surrounding counties.
"There are people out there that need to be fed," Henk said. "How we respond to that, that's what has fueled our growth."
Twenty years later, their growth led to an abundant warehouse with a $2,500 monthly rent fee. Its large-scale operation provides supplies to 190-plus agencies, which distributes 5 million pounds of food per year.
"On any given day, we might have 20 agency shoppers who come and get the food," Henk said. "From the agencies, they reach 18,000 people per month."
The Food Bank is essentially a bank that sends food to rural and urban areas across east Alabama. The food is donated from places such as grocery stores, food drives and food-bank networks.
The food is then sent to the food bank. where food agencies such as community markets, churches and soup kitchens receive the supply and feed the surrounding community through their organization.
"Part of my job is to see how this donated food fingers out into the community," Henk said.
So, from the Congo to Auburn, Henk's work hasn't changed all that much. Henk still remembers her missionary work each and every day, motivating her to be the best service leader she can be.
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