SEMO Food Bank receives donation

Sikeston-based Southeast Missouri Food Bank, which plans to open a satellite office in Jackson this fall, announced Friday it had received a $25,000 grant and 40,000 pounds of chicken from Tyson Foods.

"We hear from people we serve that they often can't afford healthy proteins like chicken at grocery stores. Protein is also among the most expensive for the food bank to purchase," said Joey Keys, the food bank's CEO.

According a 2021 University of Missouri study, 64% of people visiting food pantries in Southeast Missouri said they purchased the least expensive food, even if they knew it was not the healthiest. That study also found more than 50% of households had a least one member with a significant health issue, including diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

The grant funds, food bank officials said, will be used to support mobile food distributions throughout the rest of the year in Stoddard and Dunklin counties, which both rank in the top 20 counties for food insecurity in the state.

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