Food Shouldn’t Be an Impossible Choice
Did you know that more THAN 430,000* people in the Missouri & Illinois bi-state region face hunger? That is 1 out every 6 people in our community. A daily meal poses a tough choice for far too many: a meal or electricity? A meal or medication? A meal or rent? (*Feeding America 'Map the Meal Gap' March 2021) These are [...]
Food Insecurity has no demographic. It can happen to anyone.
One life event – a job loss, an unexpected bill, a health crisis, or the struggle to break the cycle of poverty can lead to the financial stress of choosing between necessities for any of us. Food should not be one of them. At the St. Louis Area Foodbank, we have a PEOPLE FIRST mindset that drives our decisions, [...]
4 Easy Ways We Can Fight Summer Hunger
It may be summer break, but here at the St. Louis Foodbank, we know that hunger does not take a ‘break’ especially as we deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. While conditions may be improving, the need for support continues to remain high. You have read past blogs and stories about “Summer Hunger” and how we see demand [...]
Our Quest For A Hunger-Free Summer
Many of you tuned into #GiveSTL day this year and learned that on May 6th we kicked off our Hunger Free Summer initiative. With Hunger Free Summer, we're aiming to provide more than 9 million meals to children, families, and seniors in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois this summer. So to everyone who supported the St. Louis Area Foodbank during [...]
Our Volunteer Family
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?" Martin Luther King Jr. Volunteer appreciation week is this month (April 18-24), and I can't help but remember this time last year. The St. Louis Area Foodbank faced a daunting question when businesses, community groups, schools, and teams were not allowed to come out as they had [...]
A Stronger, Healthier Region
It's March, and we are officially one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Wow! That's a sentence I never thought I would write. Rather than look back at the year that was, I feel it’s important to “Spring” forward and look ahead. After all, March is National Nutrition Month, and nutrition is a big part of our vision of creating a stronger, [...]
With Love & Service
Many years ago, walking into an office for a meeting, I noticed a small, framed quote hanging on the wall that read, "Life is measured in love and positive contributions and moments of grace." This quote by Carly Fiorina reminded me of another from Booker T. Washington; "In proportion, as one renders service [they] become great." Neither of these statements speaks about financial contributions, specific actions, or [...]
365 Blank Days to Fight Hunger and Feed Hope
It is finally 2021 - a new year filled with new opportunities. None of us can control what is going on around us; we can only control how we respond to it, so I am looking at 2021 through an optimistic yet pragmatic lens. Last January, I blogged about making the most of 2020 by viewing the days as blank [...]
My Christmas Wish
I asked my 8-year-old daughter what she wanted for Christmas this year, and she said (sternly) “I want COVID gone, Mommy - I am done with it!” and I cannot disagree with her; this pandemic has been difficult for all of us. Although our holiday season will look different this year, I still want to view it as a time [...]
Sharing and Caring for One Another
Sharing and Caring for One Another The holidays seemed so far away in March and April – and now they are just a few weeks away! While this time of year is usually filled with reserving flights and making menus for a house filled with family and friends, all too often when speaking with people this year, I hear “we [...]