Area food bank plans open house

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri, which serves Callaway and Cole county residents, will host an open house Thursday.

Activities will start with a 4 p.m. ribbon cutting to celebrate the Food Bank's anniversary, according to Kimberly Kent, special events coordinator.

"We are celebrating our 35th anniversary for the Food Bank," she said. "Our food bank serves 32 counties. We serve 104,000 people a month throughout those 32 counties."

The evening's events also will includes tours, cooking demonstrations and family-friendly activities from 4:30-7 p.m. Appetizers, beer and wine will be provided.

The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, a nationwide nonprofit network of 200-plus food banks. The Food Bank works with manufacturers, wholesalers, processors, growers and more to secure donations and food at reduced costs.

The Columbia-based organization also works with 132 food pantries, soup kitchens and other agencies to ensure food gets into the hands of those who need it most.

It also distributes 7,500 Buddy Packs each week during the school year to low-income children at 156 schools. Each Buddy Pack provides two ready-to-eat entrees, a fruit cup, shelf-stable milk and a nutrition bar.

A new pilot program is underway in Boone County providing VIP Veteran Packs for vets living at or below the poverty line (also including toiletries). With additional resources, that veterans program will be made permanent and expand to other counties. People may donate to this and other programs via the organization's website.

Also provided are supplemental food program boxes for older individuals. A central pantry is located in Columbia, and there also are mobile and school food pantries.