St. Louis County Distributes More Than 10.5 Million In CARES Act Funding To Address Food Insecurity

Kirkwood MO

24 June, 2021

7:10 AM

Description

Press release from the St. Louis County Government: June 23, 2021 ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO ‐ To address food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Louis County invested more than $10.5 million of funding from the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities (CARES) Act to ensure vulnerable residents received vital assistance during the pandemic. "This pandemic has taken its toll on many of our families," County Executive Dr. Sam Page said. "This funding for food distribution was vital to the public health and safety of our community, and I'm proud of the work done by the County and our partners to get resources to those who needed them the most." From May 2020 to January 2021, St. Louis County awarded CARES funding to community partners to help connect food to families struggling through the pandemic. These community organizations were awarded the following grants: Operation Food Search: $4,722,406 St. Louis Area Food Bank: $2,605,750 Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis: $1,425,000 HOSCO Shift: $1,223,471.71 NAACP/ARCHS: $465,188 The Link Market: $110,000 PotBangers: $24,835.68 Operation Food Search was among the first organizations to receive CARES funding. They set up weekly, free meals at distribution sites across the County, including 10 public schools and 10 libraries, from June 1, 2020 through the start of school in late August. Further grant money allowed Operation Food Search to continue the weekly food distribution sites. The County's partner agencies reported that up to 75 percent of people seeking assistance from a food pantry during the pandemic did so for the first time. "People came to these events who have never come to a food pantry before," said Brian Wieher, Director of Child and Family Nutrition at Operation Food Search. "I couldn't be more thankful that the County government reached out and did this for St. Louis County. They helped and it really meant a lot." Below you can watch an interview with Brian Wieher of Operation Food Search. This press release was produced by the St. Louis County Government. The views expressed here are the author's own.