Operation Food Search and the St. Louis Area Foodbank Host Party

Two St. Louis nonprofits that work year-round to close the area’s food gap are joining forces this spring break.

Operation Food Search (OFS)—a not-for-profit hunger relief organization—and the St. Louis Area Foodbank—the bi-state region’s largest non-profit food provider—will host their first Spring Break Community Block Party. The event will be held Mon., March 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Skate King located at 6100 Natural Bridge Rd.

The family-friendly block party includes free groceries, cooking demonstrations, music and a kid zone with plenty of activities. The event will feature free health and vision screenings, as well as a variety of resources ranging from education to utility assistance. Vendors include Affinia Healthcare, American Red Cross, Beyond Housing, CareSTL Health Inc., Earth Dance Farms, St. Louis County Libraries, St. Louis Insurance Group, STL Youth Jobs, St. Patrick’s Center, and Spire.

More than 300 families in the Pine Lawn and surrounding communities will receive the necessary ingredients to create meals from start to finish over spring break and beyond. The St. Louis Area Foodbank will provide fresh food and shelf-stable items. Operation Food Search, which specializes in nutrition education, will hold onsite cooking demonstrations by their registered dietitians. Families will be able to enjoy samples and take recipes home.

"There are far too many people going hungry in our community,” said St. Louis Area Foodbank President and CEO Meredith Knopp. "Much progress has been made, but at the Foodbank we know that we can accomplish more when we work with other local organizations. We're grateful to our friends at OFS who are providing valuable resources to go with the thousands of pounds of food we're distributing in Pine Lawn. We want as many people as possible to bring their families to the Block Party because food is a natural uniting force and when communities come together, that sparks hope, which is the catalyst for positive and lasting change.”

“Children and their families experience the effects of food insecurity on an ongoing basis, but it is much more pronounced during times like spring break when school is not in session,” said Operation Food Search Executive Director Kristen Wild. “St. Louis Area Foodbank and OFS are working together to solve this problem. Both agencies bring unique strengths to the table, which is why this event’s partnership is so valuable to our community.”

Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a hunger relief organization that provides free food, nutrition education and innovative programs proven to reduce food insecurity. With a strategic focus aimed at ending childhood hunger, OFS empowers families and increases access to healthy and affordable food. The agency provides food and services to nearly 200,000 individuals on a monthly basis – one-third of whom are children – through a network of 330 community partners in 30 Missouri and Illinois counties. For more information, call (314) 726-5355 or visit www.OperationFoodSearch.org.

The St. Louis Area Foodbank began its service to the community in 1975. Since that time, the organization has grown to become the bi-state region’s largest nonprofit 501c3 food provider dedicated to feeding those in need. Through a robust network of community partners and programs in 26 Missouri and Illinois counties, the Foodbank helps provide 37 million meals annually. The organization devotes 97% of resources to food distribution, helping feed more than 392,000 people annually. For more information on the organization and the issue of hunger, please visit www.STLFoodbank.org.