Operation Food Search

Cedrick Hill, 62, left, gives a box of donated food to Tony Eiland, 67, both volunteers with City Hope Bible Church in Walnut Park East, as they load items onto a pickup truck on Monday, March 11, 2024, at Operation Food Search (OFS) in Overland. OFS is in the middle of renovating its headquarters and warehouse to accommodate more storage at its facilities.

Operation Food Search will invest $10 million into its St. Louis County headquarters

Eric Schmid

The investment includes more space to store shelf-stable and perishable food as well as a new teaching kitchen and other programming for members of the regional community.

University of Missouri PhD student Mai Abuhelwa demonstrates how one of the new sensors detects Salmonella contamination on July 28, 2023. This sensor uses a laser and fiber optic cables to sense small centrations of the bacteria.

Health, Science & Environment

Researchers see new salmonella sensors shaking up the entire chicken supply chain

Eric Schmid

A multi-university research team is developing technology that can detect salmonella contamination in a matter of minutes. Researchers aim to take the results from sensors and pair them with other data to strengthen the safety and resilience of the chicken supply.

Wal-Mart claims that 11 percent of the produce in its stores now comes from local farms.

Government, Politics & Issues

Missouri turns down millions in federal food aid for low-income children

Clara Bates

The state said this week it will not participate in a federal program that would provide $120 in benefits to each eligible child, citing administrative hurdles. The decision sparked anger from Missouri parents, who say that officials "basically just robbed us."

The St. Louis County Library’s Florissant Valley, Lewis and Clark, and Weber Road branches are offering 50 boxes of fresh produce every Thursday.

Economy & Business

St. Louis County Library provides free produce boxes as cost of groceries rises

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson

A free fresh produce program is returning to select St. Louis County Libraries this week. The St. Louis County Library’s Florissant Valley, Lewis and Clark, and Weber Road branches are offering 50 boxes of fresh produce every Thursday.

The Greater St. Louis Area Council boy scouts helped gather food for distribution with the St. Louis Area FoodBank earlier last week.

Economy & Business

St. Louis regional food banks spend more on food this year to keep up with demand

Andrea Y. Henderson

Food pantries in the St. Louis region are responding to a growing need. Many people are visiting pantries for the first time because of higher food costs.

GiftAMeal, a St. Louis based food technology startup, is teaming up with the City Foundry’s food hall to give back food to people in need with a mobile app.

Economy & Business

A picture is worth thousands of meals as food technology startup helps address food insecurity

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson

City Foundry’s food hall is the latest to work with St. Louis-based food technology startup GiftAMeal to address hunger in the region. Customers who visit any of the City Foundry’s food concepts can download the free GiftAMeal mobile app, take a photo of their food and upload it. The startup donates money to Operation Food Search for every photo uploaded.

Feed My People volunteer Kay Thompson bags a food donation at the south St. Louis county location in May 2020.

Coronavirus

St. Louis-Area Food Banks Expect Surge As Missouri Ends Federal Unemployment Benefits

Kayla Drake

St. Louis-area food pantries are busy stocking shelves for this summer now that Missourians are receiving smaller unemployment checks.

Tanjela Jones, programs director for The Child Core Foundation, readies snacks at an apartment complex in Festus last week, June 4, 2018. The nonprofit will serve snacks and dinner to about 50 children out of the community room this summer.

Education

Resumption Of Summer Youth Programs Means Better Access To Free Meals

Ryan Delaney

Schools and nonprofits retooled last spring to keep kids fed during the pandemic lockdown. Easing of social distancing rules this spring means more meals are expected this summer.

Earlier this year, Carolyn Randazzo (at left), a volunteer with the Ferguson-based Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish food pantry, alerted nearby EarthDance Organic Farm School of the spike in need she was seeing. Since then, EarthDance’s staff, including Deborah Rice-Carter (at right), have stepped up in a big way, donating more than 1,800 pounds of fresh produce to local pantries.

Health, Science & Environment

Food Insecurity Is Up — And St. Louis’ Food Banks, Pantries And Farms Are Responding

Evie Hemphill

At Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish food pantry in Ferguson, volunteers have seen a 25% client increase in recent months, with Blessed Teresa serving about 1,300 people in October alone. That’s in keeping with what food banks and other partners are observing throughout the area, according to Operation Food Search’s director of strategic services, Lucinda Perry. She’s seen about a 40% increase in food insecurity rates amid COVID-19 upheaval. The St. Louis community is stepping up to help, including local farms such as EarthDance.

A Jennings child expresses disappointment about the lack of chocolate milk options on the first day of summer school. Operation Food Search, a regional food bank, will supply meals to a thousand students at the north St. Louis County school district this

Education

40% Of Eligible Missouri Kids Missing Out On Added Food Assistance

Ryan Delaney

Federal money meant to help low-income families with food costs while kids were home from school this spring is reaching just 60% of Missouri’s eligible…