Legislators Work Together to Fight Hunger

JEFFERSON CITY -- Southeast Missouri members of the General Assembly recently came together to fight hunger by donating to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank. Representatives Steve Tilley (R-Perryville), Shelley Keeney (R- Marble Hill), Ellen Brandom (R- Sikeston), Billy Pat Wright (R-Dexter), Terry Swinger (D-Caruthersville), Rep.-elect Wayne Wallingford (R-Cape Girardeau) and Sen. Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau) are sponsoring mobile food banks all throughout Southeast Missouri this Holiday season.

The Southeast Missouri Food Bank serves Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard and Wayne counties. Specifically, legislators are sponsoring the Southeast Missouri Food Bank's Mobile Food Pantry program, which fills gaps in emergency food assistance, mostly in small, rural communities that lack the resources to provide for families in need.

Each distribution center partners with nonprofit, civic organizations and individuals in the area. These centers, which can serve up to 350 people, provide clients with a week's worth of basic staples, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and frozen foods. Partners provide volunteers and a site for distribution, and they help spread the word about upcoming distributions via newspaper and radio ads, flyers, and church bulletins. Each mobile pantry costs $600 for up to 8,000 pounds of food.

The group believes that during this Christmas season, it is so important that we remember those in need. The generosity of Southeast Missouri citizens makes it possible to fight hunger in our communities and make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of families.

For more information or to schedule the mobile food bank for your area, please contact Missy Rice at the Southeast Missouri Food Bank by calling (573) 651-0400 or e-mail her at merice@feedingamerica.org.

For more information, contact:

573-751-2459 Sen. Jason Crowell

573-751-5912 Rep. Shelley Keeney

573-751-1488 Rep. Steve Tilley

573-751-5471 Rep. Ellen Brandom

573-751-2264 Rep. Terry Swinger

573-751-1494 Rep. Billy Pat Wright

573-450-8595 Rep.-elect Wayne Wallingford