Supporters of St. Louis Area Foodbank, the largest provider of food and personal care items to those in need in the St. Louis metropolitan bi-state region, are commemorating the agency's 50th year since being founded in 1975. Creating a nutritionally secure Missouri and Illinois is their mission.
Meredith Knopp, Foodbank president/CEO, says the Foodbank distributes more than 43 million pounds of product annually through distribution events and a network of community-based hunger relief organizations, reaching 1.2 million people each year.
"Everyone deserves access to food and the promise of a healthy diet, which is why we're committed to ensuring access to the foods and resources our neighbors need to thrive," adds Meredith. "Through our network of partners and programs across 26 counties in Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois, we're working to revolutionize the local hunger relief system."
Foodbank statistics indicate one in every seven people in Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois face hunger. Putting food on the table often creates a tough choice: A meal or electricity, a meal or medication, a meal or gas for the car.
"Additionally, 18% of the people we serve are veterans," says Meredith.
To commemorate the Foodbank's 50th anniversary, the team aims to provide one month's food supply to 500 families at two late summer events, one in Missouri and one in Illinois. These events will be open to the public, and Meredith says no income verification will be required. The food distribution event in Missouri will be held Aug. 29 at Starr parking lot/near Busch Stadium, and in Illinois, the event will be hosted Aug. 28 at World Wide Technology Raceway's parking lot.
Additional, monthly food distribution events at various locations can be found on the Foodbank's website.
Ericka Kinkead, director of marketing and communications at the Foodbank, spotlights the exponential growth of the group over these past five decades. "It started as a small operation, distributing 135,000 pounds of food that first year, with 15 pantry partners. Now we have 588-and-growing pantry partners," she explains.
The Foodbank is headquartered in Bridgeton at 70 Corporate Woods Drive. To donate financially to the cause, the group accepts checks and online donations via credit cards, Apple Pay, G Pay, Venmo and PayPal. As an example of the group's hands-on assistance, through financial donations, the Foodbank crew in May mobilized emergency food supplies to support regional residents hardest hit by the EF3 tornado. Donations went directly toward providing ready-to-eat meals and essential supplies to those affected or displaced.
Ericka says other ways to support is to donate time to pack meals at the group's Volunteer Center or to help at a distribution event. "Anyone also can host food drives in their local areas to collect nonperishable food, personal care products and household supplies. These drives are great ways for schools, businesses and organizations to combine efforts to fight hunger while making a huge difference in our community," she adds.
For St. Louis Area Foodbank's 50th anniversary, staffers will feed 50,000 people in need during September/national Hunger Action Month; Aug. 28 food distribution in Illinois at World Wide Technology Raceway's parking lot and Aug. 29 in Missouri at Starr parking lot/near Busch Stadium.