Grant funds enable SEMO Food Bank to distribute more healthy food to needy

SIKESTON -- Southeast Missouri Food Bank has received an $18,000 grant to help its Grocery Rescue Program.

The Grocery Rescue Program recovers nutritious food that is close-dated, slightly ripe or too plentiful and puts the food into the hands of hungry Southeast Missourians. The rescued food comes from grocery stores and farms and would otherwise go into landfills.

Truck fuel and maintenance are the largest expenses for grocery recovery and distribution efforts and the grant provided through Specialty Food Foundation supports this expense. This is the first time the Food Bank has received a grant from this Foundation.

Helping with these expenses enables SEMO Food Bank to significantly increase the amount of food distributed in Southeast Missouri, according to Karen Green, SEMO Food Bank's chief executive officer.

"Specialty Food Foundation's grant strengthens partnership efforts with local retailers and farmers, empowering us to work together to increase the amount of healthy food recovered and distributed for struggling Southeast Missouri families," Green said.

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