SIKESTON, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Food Bank will host its second annual Hunger Action Resource Fair and mobile food pantry on Monday, Sept. 8, as part of Hunger Action Month. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the food bank’s parking lot at 600 State Highway H in Sikeston.
“Our goal is to make it easier for people to get the help they need in one place, in one day,” said Camille Peters, chief impact officer for the food bank. “When someone is struggling to put food on the table, they may also be facing challenges with healthcare, employment, or other essential needs.”
Peters said last year’s inaugural event was a great success, serving more than 400 families. This year’s fair, sponsored by United Healthcare, will again bring together agencies and organizations offering services from healthcare and employment to veterans’ programs and parenting support.
Arevon, a leading American renewable energy company who is constructing the Kelso Solar Project in the area, is sponsoring the mobile food pantry, which will be open to individuals who participate in resource fair.
Services available will include:
- Help with questions and case status updates for SNAP, Temporary Assistance, and MO HealthNet.
- Veterans’ services.
- Personal care information and services for the elderly, disabled, special needs, and veterans.
- Behavioral health information and resources.
- County disability resources.
- Employment assistance.
- Services for the blind.
- Foster care information.
- Resources and programs for children and youth with special needs.
- Pregnancy and parenting support.
- Visiting Nurses Association services.
- Multiple health services for low-income individuals, include some health screenings.
The resource fair is open to anyone living within the food bank’s 16-county service area in southeast Missouri.
Participants will receive a punch card to visit service providers before moving on to the mobile food pantry. The resource fair will be a walk-through, and all visitors should follow on-site traffic and parking instructions.
“We’re excited to see so many organizations coming together to support our neighbors,” Peters said. “By connecting people with these services, we hope to remove barriers that stand in the way of stability and self-sufficiency.”
Southeast Missouri Food Bank serves about 80,000 people each month through a network of partner agencies and direct service programs. Its service area includes the five most food-insecure counties in Missouri.
For more information about the Hunger Action Resource Fair, contact Camille Peters at 573-471-1818 or cpeters@semofoodbank.org.
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 140 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 5,600 senior citizens and weekend backpacks of food during the school year to 1,100 students in area 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.