St. Louis, Mo:Bayer Fund recently donated $100,000 to Operation Food Search (OFS), a non-profit hunger relief organization.  The donation will be used to provide supplemental food to children and their families during this current climate where spiking unemployment rates have left a devastating strain on the emergency food safety net.

Bayer Fund’s gift will assist OFS with numerous programs and services including:

Summer Meal Programs – This year marks OFS’s ninth year as a sponsor of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which is funded by the USDA and ensures that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.  This summer’s adapted service will focus on rural partnerships, drop and go meal sites, drive-through distribution events, and mobile meal routes.

Community Partnerships – The donation will provide additional fresh food to OFS’s network of Community Food Partners, including Urban League and Beyond Housing community food distribution events for area families.

Fresh Rx Food-As-Medicine Programs – The gift will support the continuation of program activities for Fresh Rx:  Nourishing Healthy Starts and Fresh Rx:  Prescribing Healthy Futures, which are designed for growing families who are experiencing food insecurity.  OFS provides home food delivery and offers virtual cooking classes for participating children and their families.

“The current events of today have caused many families to experience a food crisis for the first time in their lives,” said Al Mitchell, Vice President of Corporate Engagement for Bayer. “The anxiety of not knowing if there is enough food for your family can be daunting. Bayer Fund’s support of agencies such as Operation Food Search ensures those who are the most vulnerable receive assistance.”

“This very generous gift helps us handle the strain the pandemic has added to our organization in terms of increased food purchasing and delivery,” said Kristen Wild, Executive Director at OFS.  “We continue to answer the daily food needs of our rapidly growing audience, and we are able to better adapt and communicate with the people we serve based upon the support of community leaders like the Bayer Fund.”