Sikeston, MO (Aug. 5, 2026) – Thanks to the generosity of individuals, businesses and community
partners across Southeast Missouri, Southeast Missouri Food Bank’s Summer Meals for Kids
Campaign exceeded its goal, raising more than $80,000 to help provide more than 320,000 meals for
children and families during the summer months.
By the end of the campaign, community support had far surpassed the goal of providing 200,000
meals to families and children who lose access to school breakfast and lunch programs during the
summer months.
“The response from our community shows what happens when neighbors come together with a
shared purpose,” said Clay Schermann, Chief Development Officer for Southeast Missouri Food
Bank. “Every donation, every partnership and every act of generosity helped ensure more families
had food on the table this summer. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who stepped up to support
local families. While this campaign has come to a close, the need continues, and we’re excited to
keep working alongside our communities to make sure children and families have the food they need
throughout the year.”
The need remains significant. Newly released USDA food insecurity data shows that more than
20,000 children in Southeast Missouri experienced food insecurity in 2024, up from about 18,000
children the year before.
For parents like Bethany in Pemiscot County, summer means stretching every grocery dollar a little
further.
“My girls, they want to eat all day long,” Bethany said with a laugh at a SEMO Food Bank distribution.
“Through the summer, I have to actually plan the meals out and cook bigger meals because
everybody’s at the house.”
Her experience reflects what many families across Southeast Missouri face when school is out and
the meals children normally receive at school are no longer available.
Over the summer, SEMO Food Bank conducted and scheduled more than 60 mobile food
distributions, including 15 A Better Childhood (ABC) Mobile Pantry distributions that support families
with school-age children. These distributions delivered nutritious food directly to communities, helping
families fill the gap left when school breakfast and lunch programs were unavailable.
Community members also found other ways to help. Harps Food Stores customers in SEMO Food
Bank’s service area purchased 294 Summer Blessing Bags, filled with kid-friendly food items that
were distributed through local food pantries serving the same communities where the donations were
collected.
SEMO Food Bank serves families, children, veterans and seniors through a network of 140 partner
agencies and direct-service programs across a 16-county service area. Southeast Missouri has some
of the highest rates of hunger in Missouri, with 1 in 5 individuals, 1 in 4 children and 1 in 8 seniors
living in homes that are food insecure. The six most food-insecure counties in the state are in
Southeast Missouri. To learn more, visit semofoodbank.org.