SIKESTON, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Food Bank will hold special holiday mobile food distributions in each of its 16 counties in November and December.
These distributions will feature food families can use to make a traditional holiday meal with a menu such as hams, potatoes, green beans, corn, stuffing, fruit and pie. Menus may vary based on available inventory.
“We know rising food prices have made things harder for many families this year,” said Joey Keys, chief executive officer of SEMO Food Bank. “The holidays can already be stressful, and when you’re worried about if you can afford lunch meat, how are you supposed to think about a holiday feast. We hope these holiday mobiles make it a little easier for some of our neighbors facing hunger.”
Holiday mobiles will be held in each county in the food bank’s service area in November and December, with each one having enough food to serve 200 families. The schedule of all mobile pantries is available at www.semofoodbank.org/mobile-food-pantries/. Individuals may also sign up for text notifications of distributions in their county by texting the name of their county, followed by “co” with no spaces (i.e. perryco or stegenevieveco) to 51555.
Individuals are only allowed to receive food from mobile distributions in their county of residence and are asked to bring a photo ID or official piece of mail, like a utility bill, with their address for verification.
Southeast Missouri Food Bank serves about 80,000 individuals each month through a network of 143 partner agencies and other programs. The food bank’s 16-county service area has some of the highest rates of hunger in the state, with one in six families and one in five children not having enough to eat.
About Southeast Missouri Food Bank
The mission of Southeast Missouri Food Bank is to end hunger and leverage the power of food to build healthy communities. The food bank provides food to 143 charitable and disaster relief programs in Southeast Missouri. These member agencies include food pantries, soup kitchens, domestic violence and homeless shelters. Southeast Missouri Food Bank also holds regular mobile food distributions and provides monthly boxes of food to 5,350 senior citizens and weekend backpacks of food during the school year to nearly 1,200 students in 30 school districts. The food bank’s 16-county coverage area includes Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, and Wayne counties. Those interested in helping can do so by making a tax-deductible contribution, donating food, or scheduling a time to volunteer. Visit semofoodbank.org for more information.