ALF Food Pantry prepares for major expansion

By Camille DeVaul · Thu Dec 11 2025

Pantry secures a new, larger facility to meet growing demand and enhance food distribution in North County

ATASCADERO — The ALF Food Pantry (ALF), a cornerstone of the community for 42 years, continues to meet the growing needs of local families, having distributed 700,000 pounds of groceries to 34,000 individuals in 2024 alone. One-third of those served are children, highlighting the pantry’s vital role in supporting families throughout Atascadero and surrounding communities.

ALF, SLO Food Bank’s largest distributor, operates entirely on the dedication of more than 100 volunteers, with no paid employees.

“The demand is significant, it’s growing, and it’s not going to stop growing,” said Tim Eckles, ALF Food Pantry president. “We’ve had weeks recently where we served over 300 clients or over 300 families and households. That is somewhere above 1,000 individuals that we served in one week.”

ALF is an all-volunteer organization founded in 1984. Its mission is to provide essential nourishment to those in need, serving the food-insecure residents of Atascadero, Templeton, Creston, Santa Margarita, and California Valley.

Each weekday morning, volunteers pick up donated food-rescue groceries from local businesses throughout North County and receive low- or no-cost deliveries from the SLO Food Bank. ALF’s Sustainable Menu Committee ensures that clients consistently receive a variety of shelf-stable items, fresh produce, and meats of high quality. According to ALF, these efforts are accomplished while staying within a budget of approximately $15,000 per month — averaging $750 per day — in addition to donated food. Funding for these operations is currently under pressure due to federal budget cuts that could impact both ALF and its major supplier, the SLO Food Bank.

To meet the increasing demand and sustain its mission, ALF is preparing for a major expansion. After nearly a seven-year search, the pantry is set to acquire the Miles Motors property at 7380 El Camino Real. The property, once an auto showroom and dealership, will undergo upgrades, including a walk-in freezer and refrigerator, electrical improvements, and a solar-battery system to support operational needs. The larger facility will also provide parking, palletized food storage, and office space.

Eckles praised the contributions of past leaders and partners, “In 2019, Mary Alice Chisholm, Herb Klein, and I embarked on a heartfelt journey to find a property that would sustain ALF’s mission. Herb’s influence was profound, guiding us until his passing. In July, we finally signed the agreement to purchase the Miles Motors property at 7380 El Camino Real. The meeting with our broker, Jaime Silveria, Ted and Terry Miles, Mary Alice, and me was a culmination of tears of joy and relief, a testament to our shared dedication to ALF's cause.”

The pantry continues to rely heavily on community support. While donations of food are appreciated, monetary contributions remain the pantry’s greatest need, particularly to fund property improvements and ensure smooth operations.

Atascadero’s newest grocery store, Valley Fresh Market, has recently joined ALF’s network of partners, regularly providing rescued groceries, a critical resource that helps the pantry maintain its sustainable menu while filling gaps in donations.

Looking ahead, Eckles remains cautiously optimistic about the timeline for the move. “I'm hoping that we will be in by late spring," he said. "We’re committed to maintaining our operations at the current level, and in the meantime, we have significant costs for property improvement that we need to address before we can move in.”

For more information on ALF Food Pantry, visit alffoodpantry.org