St. Louis: Operation Food Search (OFS), a non-profit hunger relief organization, recently received $1,975,086 from the CARES Act funds in St. Louis County.  The funds will be used to distribute food to children and families who are experiencing food insecurity during this current climate. 

This is the second round of CARES Act funding that the nonprofit has received.  The first grant, which totaled $1,312,320, was awarded in June.  The entire two-part $3,287,406 grant provides a total of 1,236,000 meals that began in June and will be available through the end of this year.

OFS—which currently holds food distributions through schools, libraries, community organizations, and food pantries—will add new opportunities in high needs communities.  The CARES Act funding will specifically go toward serving 10 school districts, 10 libraries, numerous churches, and community centers in St. Louis County.  Products that will be distributed include shelf-stable, non-perishable pantry-staple style foods plus a limited amount of fresh produce to specific sites. 

OFS typically distributes food to 200,000 people per month in the bi-state region.  The nonprofit’s free meal distribution program serves the region’s children and families who need food assistance.  For details about where families can receive food, visit https://www.operationfoodsearch.org/find-food/.

“Food is an essential basic need that must be addressed during COVID-19, particularly for low-income communities,” said OFS Executive Director Kristen Wild.  “We offer an equitable approach to food distribution and, thanks to this very generous funding by St. Louis County, we can concentrate on answering this growing need.” 

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.