SIKESTON, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri Food Bank has released its 2025 Annual Report, sharing a year of work to provide food and support to families, children, seniors, and veterans across Southeast Missouri.
In 2025, SEMO Food Bank distributed more than 14 million pounds of food, providing 12.34 million meals through a network of 140 partner agencies and direct-service programs across its 16-county service area. Southeast Missouri continues to face high rates of food insecurity, with 1 in 6 individuals, 1 in 5 children, and 1 in 8 seniors living in homes where access to food is limited. The five most food-insecure counties in the state are in the Food Bank’s service area.
“Last year brought challenges for our communities and our organization,” said Joey Keys, president and chief executive officer of SEMO Food Bank. “Spring tornadoes disrupted the lives of many families, and disruptions to federal nutrition programs later in the year meant more people were turning to us for food assistance. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the dedication of our volunteers, and the commitment of our partners, we were able to respond and provide meals to families across Southeast Missouri. The Annual Report highlights what we accomplished and how we’re preparing to meet future challenges.”
2025 Highlights Include:
- 5,600 senior citizens received monthly food boxes.
- 1,110 students received weekend food support through school partnerships.
- 68 million pounds of fresh produce distributed, including donations from local farmers and growers.
- 354 Mobile Food Pantries, each serving an average of 200 families.
- 4,518 volunteers contributed more than 11,370 hours sorting, packing and distributing food.
- Launch of the Just-in-Time Delivery Program, delivering fresh, nutritious food directly to rural communities with limited pantry access.
The report also underscores SEMO Food Bank’s focus on innovation, building strong community partnerships, and ensuring resources are available to respond quickly to changing needs.
“Every meal we provide, every neighbor we reach, is made possible by the generosity of our donors and the dedication of our volunteers and partners,” Keys added. “Together, we are making a difference in the fight against hunger and helping build stronger communities across Southeast Missouri.”
The full 2025 Annual Report is available online.
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.