St. Louis, Mo: Operation Food Search (OFS), a non-profit hunger relief organization, recently received a $159,000 grant from Community Impact Network and its emergency coronavirus task force.  The one-year grant will be used for the nonprofit’s programs including:

·         Operation Backpack, a weekend food assistance program for Normandy Schools Collaborative elementary students;

·         Normandy High School’s Nutrition Ambassadors Program, a group of students trained by OFS to provide healthy cooking demonstrations plus to educate peers, faculty, and community members on the importance of healthy eating while on a budget; and

·         Fresh Rx:  Prescribing Healthy Futures, an innovative program that provides food, nutrition services, and case management assistance to Normandy families.

The Community Impact Network works to improve the availability and delivery of services by maximizing efficiency, improving communication and empowering community members living in the Normandy footprint to build and protect their human capital and create wealth.

“Operation Food Search has been an integral partner in our efforts to support and empower residents of the Normandy Schools Collaborative Footprint,” said Community Impact Network’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Gioia.  “The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis will be felt in our community for months and possibly even years to come. Our partnership is more important now than ever before. We are proud to work with Operation Food Search and honored to support them in their mission.”

“The pandemic has continued to wreak havoc on the communities we serve and, thanks to generous grants like this one from the Community Impact Network, we are still able to offer a wide variety of programs to the Normandy area,” said OFS Executive Director Kristen Wild.

Pictured is the inaugural Nutrition Ambassadors class prior to the pandemic.  OFS currently teaches the program’s youth virtually.

Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a hunger relief organization located at 1644 Lotsie Blvd. 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.