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ST. LOUIS AREA FOODBANK HIGHLIGHTS INCREASING FOOD
ASSISTANCE NEEDS ON NBC'S "TODAY" SHOW
 ST. LOUIS, MO -- NOVEMBER 20, 2001 -- The St.
Louis Area Foodbank recently was recognized by NBC's "Today"
show as an organization facing the growing challenge of feeding America's
hungry. "Today" contacted the Foodbank and our executive director, Frank
Finnegan [BIO], was inteviewed by Katie
Couric. During the 5-minute interview, Frank pointed out that with the current
economic downturn, many pantries across the country have been forced to close their doors
earlier than usual simply because they are running out of food more quickly. He also
discussed how the St. Louis Area Foodbank is working to meet this rising need by
establishing a Repackaging Center to reclaim food that would otherwise be wasted,
increasing hunger awareness, and partnering with America's Second Harvest to encourage
more food industry donations.
Frank gave voice to the needs of the people
we serve who are finding it difficult to feed themselves and their families. We are
thankful to the many people who saw the interview and responded generously. With
your continued support, we will meet this current challenge and keep our region's pantries
filled.
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The St. Louis Area Foodbank is a non-profit,
food distribution center for organizations that feed hungry people throughout 14 counties
in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. The organization is a founding member of
America's Second Harvest, is supported by the United Way of Greater St. Louis and
distributes USDA commodities for both Missouri and Illinois.
America's Second Harvest is the nation's
largest domestic hunger-relief organization with a national network of more than 200
regional food banks and food rescue programs, serving all 50 states and Puerto Rico, which
distributes 1.3 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. The
America's Second Harvest network supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies,
operating more than 94,000 food programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, women's
shelters, Kids Cafes, Community Kitchens, and their local organizations that provide food
assistance to 26 million hungry Americans, including eight million children and four
million seniors each year. For more information, visit our web site at www.secondharvest.org. |
