Local Agencies Team Up to Distribute Emergency
Food Boxes to Storm Victims
Combined effort of the United Way, the St.
Louis Area Foodbank, the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross will
result in 1.5 million meals.
The
United Way, the
St. Louis Area Foodbank, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross
have come together to help ensure that those on low and fixed
incomes, particularly the elderly and those with medical needs and
disabilities in zip codes affected by last week’s storms will have an
emergency supply of nutritious food for themselves and their
families.
The need is for a supply of staples
in homes. While this will not replace the perishables they lost, it
will ensure they have nutritional meals for the next several days.
Each box contains approximately 30 meals. A meal is equal to 1.225
pounds. Close to 1.5 million meals will be provided.
Then any resources they may still
have or may get when the next round of social security checks or food
stamps come out can be used to replace the perishables they lost due
to the storms. The targeted group does not have the discretionary
money to replace what was lost in the recent storms without some
outside help. It is neither efficient nor practical to keep feeding
people one meal at a time as is the current medium.
The Salvation Army will
continue to distribute single meals through this week at established
distribution sites and through their emergency response vehicles in
cooperation with local governments.
United Way will make available 50,000
nutritional emergency food boxes through the St. Louis Area Foodbank
- the local affiliate of America's Second Harvest - the Nation's Food
Bank Network.
The food is currently en route. An
announcement will be made as to where and when the food is available.
Salvation Army will distribute at all
of their sites plus some of the Clergy Coalition churches which cover
the region. To find the most current sites, call: 1-800-427-4626 or
the Salvation Army for food boxes at 314-646-3001.
United Way, with the help of Life
Crisis, has received thousands of calls since Thursday connecting
people with resources. At first many of the calls were about cooling
site locations. Since then, the calls have mainly been about food.
The staff at United Way saw a need to bring together the Red Cross,
Salvation Army and Foodbank to do more. The distribution of the
nutritional emergency food boxes will help those who are in need the
most.
Gary Dollar, CEO and President of
United Way said: “The United Way campaign is not about making a goal
(yes, we love to make goal and plan to do it again this year), it is
about meeting the needs of our neighbors and fellow citizens whether
it is in a crisis time like this or when it is a challenge that
impacts an individual or a family.”
Joseph White, CEO of the American Red
Cross St. Louis Area Chapter said: “So far, Red Cross has provided
shelter to 750 people at locations in North St. Louis City, South St.
Louis City, St. Louis County and in Belleville, Illinois. Over 200
Red Cross volunteers have supported this relief operation, including
serving over 15,300 meals and snacks and distribution over 700
comfort kits which include personal hygiene items. In addition to
meals provided through the Red Cross shelters, Missouri Red Cross
Chapters teamed together to move Red Cross Emergency Response
Vehicles and “Heater Meals” into the St. Louis area beginning
Saturday, July 22. Joining forces with the National Guard, Red Cross
has now completed distribution of 60,000 meals to the most
disadvantaged communities.”
“With each day that passes, more
people’s lives return to normal, and that’s great news,” Salvation
Army City Commander Major Lonneal Richardson said. “But for many of
our neighbors, this crisis continues, and The Salvation Army will
provide relief as long as we are needed.”
“The Foodbank helps feed more than
60,000 local individuals each week,” said Frank Finnegan, executive
director of the St. Louis Area Foodbank. “Our challenge now – in
addition to this effort – is to replenish items lost at many of the
over 500 community partner agencies we serve so they can continue
helping us in our mission to feed hungry people."
We are not replacing the food that
people lost, but providing food above and beyond what United Way
agencies ordinarily supply to those in need to get additional people
back to where they can purchase their own food.
About United Way of Greater St.
Louis
