By Maggie LaNoue, Contributing Writer
July 11, 2025
On a warm July afternoon, volunteers in high-visibility vests stood under a white canopy outside the Marshall Opportunity High School, ready to help neighbors receive food through the Community Table of Albion (CTA). This marked the first distribution at the program’s new location at 225 E. Watson Street.
Cars rolled in slowly at 3:00 p.m., with cones guiding traffic through the lot. Volunteers reported a large turnout earlier and expected more closer to 5:00. By 4:00 p.m., fresh produce from the Albion Community Gardens and the Albion College Student Farm had already run out.
The CTA program, managed by the Albion Health Care Alliance, now operates from the left side of the high school building. Formerly, the program was hosted at Albion College’s Wesley Hall for five years, and before that, at the now-closed Food Hub on Erie Street.
While visitors are not asked to prove need or share income information, addresses are collected for reporting and planning purposes. This helps the program track distribution reach and maintain funding compliance without creating barriers for recipients.
Despite reductions in food boxes—from 300 to 200—volunteers remain dedicated. The drive-through format runs on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Tuesdays of the month, 3:00–5:00 p.m. The program is supported by many local groups including Albion College, Rotary Club, Family Fare, and United Way.
To learn more, visit www.albionhca.org/community-table-of-albion-food.html.
