SEMO Food Bank - Programs

PROGRAMS

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

The USDA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program

(CSFP) provides women, children under six years of age,

and senior citizens with nutritious food. In partnership with

Southeast Missouri Food Bank, the Missouri Department

of Health will serve 2,363 people in Southeast Missouri.

National figures indicate that 80% of those served will be

senior citizens. Participants who meet income guidelines

will receive a monthly food package that includes items

such as canned meat, vegetables, fruits, fruit juices,

potatoes, and hot and cold cereal. According to the USDA,

these packages do not provide a complete diet but

provide a good source of nutrients typically lacking in the diets of senior citizens.

For information about Southeast Missouri Food Bank's role in CSFP, please contact us at (573) 651-0400 or email info@semofoodbank.org.

For more information on CSFP, please visit www.dhss.mo.gov/csfp

BackPacks for Friday "BFF" Program

The BFF program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children

at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends

and school vacations. Research tells us that when children experi-

ence even occasional hunger, they may have trouble concentrating,

aggressive tendencies, stunted growth and increased likelihood of

obesity. Plain and simple—hunger hurts kids!

The BFF program is simple: food is delivered to participating schools,

volunteers fill backpacks with nutritious, non-perishable, easy-to-

open meals and snacks, which are discreetly distributed to children

to take home over the weekend or vacation, and children return the

backpacks on Monday for the process to be repeated throughout the

school year.

You can help us feed hungry children--one backpack at a time! You can sponsor a child for an entire school year for $280. For more information, please contact Southeast Missouri Food Bank at 573-651-0400. Are you a school district interested in participating in the BFF program? Read the BFF Handbook here.

Southeast Missouri Mobile Food Pantry - next distribution date 1/16/2010!

Often, small, rural Southeast Missouri towns lack the resources to provide basic social services to families in need. Southeast Missouri Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry fills gaps in emergency food assistance. Each distribution can serve up to 500 people, providing clients with a week’s worth of basic staples, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and frozen foods. In addition, Food Bank Outreach Staff are available to assist clients with federal food assistance applications and other federal programs.

Priority is given to communities where basic needs social services are either lacking or insufficient. Local poverty levels, number of pantries, and existing Food Bank food distribution in the community help determine new Mobile Food Pantry distribution sites. We partner with non-profit and for-profit organizations in the areas served. Partners provide volunteers and a site for distribution, and they help spread the word about upcoming distributions. For more information, please contact Southeast Missouri Food Bank at 573-651-0400.

Food Solicitation

Both local and national food industry companies work annually with Southeast Missouri Food Bank, providing us with a steady supply of product throughout each year. For more information about the program, please contact Southeast Missouri Food Bank at (573) 651-0400.

Protecting Food Donors

Click here to learn about The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act which protects food donors.

Food Purchases

It is sometimes necessary for Southeast Missouri Food Bank to purchase product in order to provide nutritious meals to those in need. If you would like more information about our Food Purchase Program, please contact us at (573) 651-0400. Purchases are made by Southeast Missouri Food Bank using money that is donated by corporations or individual donors.

Food Drives

Annually, we benefit from such large-scale food drives as

"Scouting for Food," the "National Association of Letter

Carriers' Food Drive,” and more recently, the Student Food

Drive. Businesses and organizations sponsor food drives

that help support our mission and provide product to those

in need. If you would like more information about sponsoring

a food drive, please contact Southeast Missouri Food Bank

at (573) 651-0400 or e-mail info@semofoodbank.org.

United States Department of Agriculture

The Southeast Missouri Food Bank is the sole non-profit distributor of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) product for Southeast Missouri. For more information about our USDA Program click here or contact Southeast Missouri Food Bank at (573) 651-0400.