Celebrating Community: Grace Klein Launches ‘We Not Me’ Campaign at New Pelham Facility

PELHAM, Ala. — On National Good Neighbor Day, I attended Grace Klein Community’s We Not Me event, celebrating the unveiling of their new 24,000-square-foot facility and supporting ongoing fundraising efforts for the FeedBHM Pelham campaign.

If you live in Birmingham, you’ve probably seen Grace Klein Community’s green FeedBHM donation barrels around town. But as I discovered at the event, the organization’s impact extends far beyond those familiar containers.

A Personal Connection

I first encountered Grace Klein Community years ago through a partnership with a mentoring program I was running. The organization provided toiletries and essentials for our students and families, demonstrating the collaborative spirit that defines their work.

When I learned about the community event, I jumped at the opportunity to see how Grace Klein Community is deepening its impact across the region.

A Global Vision, Local Impact

Before attending the We Not Me event, I had seen Grace Klein Community’s reach firsthand at a Better Basics event celebrating partnerships between the organization and local educational systems. Better Basics, a partnering organization, empowers children across Alabama by equipping them with foundational academic skills and educational opportunities for lifelong success.

The event featured The Honorable Dr. Richard Arrington, Birmingham’s first black mayor, alongside Mayor Hattingh Bornman, Executive Mayor of Kouga Municipality in South Africa. Their presence revealed Grace Klein Community’s impact is not only regional; the organization is leveraging its experience to support municipalities thousands of miles away. Needless to say, I was excited to learn more about how Grace Klein Community was expanding its work locally, and I was not disappointed.

The New Facility: More Than a Building

The new Pelham facility sits on 13 acres and represents a bold vision for community engagement. Plans include an in-kind coffee shop with a trail connecting to Pelham High School, providing students with a safe after-school hangout space.

An awe-inspiring feature is the food rescue space, where community members can drop off food 24/7 to be distributed throughout the community. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food waste in the United States accounts for 30% to 40% of the food supply, corresponding to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food annually.

Grace Klein Community is tackling the problem head-on by providing a safe and responsible way to redistribute food. The facility will also feature a food preservation kitchen, one of the most impressive aspects I observed during my visit, which will help further eliminate waste.

“Imagine if we re-learned the way our grandparents lived before us, establishing gardens, stewarding all food wisely, learning to preserve so we never saw food leftovers in the bin, composting what we can to strengthen our soil, and sharing jams and sauces with our neighbors. Remember when Jesus fed the thousands through the miracle of multiplying fish and bread, and then instructed the disciples to gather the leftovers? He taught us to never waste the provision He puts into our hands. Together we can adopt the ways of Jesus through sustainability, creativity and wise stewardship.”
— Jenny Waltman, Founder, Grace Klein Community

In addition, the upstairs area will be utilized to accommodate Overnight Serve Teams, traveling nationally or globally to serve alongside Grace Klein Community. The space will include restrooms and a hangout area designed to foster deeper relationships and community among team members. The worship center, in-kind Koinonia Coffeehouse, and outdoor field can all be booked for community events, providing additional opportunities to build authentic connections and strengthen local engagement. Pathways Church serves as a key partner in the project, with the new facility also functioning as their main campus.

Building Connections

The We Not Me event introduced me to other organizations serving our community, including the Fairy Headquarters Foundation, whose mission is to empower women and children in the Birmingham area by teaching essential life skills and exposing them to new opportunities to ignite their potential, foster resilience, and build a foundation for brighter futures.

Walking through the new facility, I was struck by how Grace Klein Community is addressing essential challenges facing our region. Their efforts are more than feeding people, though they help feed hundreds daily. Their heart is to create purposeful partnerships, reduce waste, and build a stronger community where everyone grows in a personal relationship with Jesus.

The We Not Me campaign name says it all: the work is not about any single organization or individual; rather, about what we can accomplish together.

Impact & Fundraising

Grace Klein Community is slated to purchase the property on December 22, 2025, and trusting God to walk into the closing with a check for $1.3 million. With $750,000 to go, we can all give to expansion.gkcbhm.org to be a part of the unfolding impact of sharing resources, building relationships, and experiencing restoration as individuals, in our families and in entire communities.

About the Author: Danny is the founder and creative director of Act Justly, Love Mercy, an online publication that highlights stories of Kingdom Impact. Its mission is to influence the culture with the values of the Kingdom. Danny also serves as the Founder and President of Forged: Birmingham Leadership Foundation. You can follow his writing at actjustlylovemercy.org.

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