A Riedel Foundation grant of $7,500 will help stock food pantries that serve Hannibal residents. The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri is part of the Feeding America network and buys in bulk which allows the purchase of greater quantities of food. In Hannibal, that food is distributed through Douglass Community Services, Harvest Outreach and the Salvation Army. The Riedel grant provides enough to put 30,000 meals on tables in Hannibal.
The Food Bank says in 2022 and 2023, even after seeing increased need during the pandemic, Hannibal food pantries saw demand rise by 23%. Those needs are expected to grow even more as the cost of groceries continues to rise.
“People who were once able to get by are now finding their budgets stretched thin,” said Teresa Ross, Northwest Regional Coordinator for The Food Bank. “An unexpected expense such as a medical bill or a car repair is enough to move them from having enough to eat to becoming food-insecure.”
Feeding America says that 1 in 7 Marion County residents are food-insecure. That leads to households skipping meals and relying on less expensive foods that are poor in nutrition. The Food Bank makes an effort to provide more nutritious options, with 25% of the food provided in the form of fruits and vegetables, and another 30% being lean proteins, low-fat dairy, and whole grains.
“Food is our most basic need,” said Riedel Foundation Trustee April Baldwin. “By awarding a grant to The Food Bank, we know that our available money is going to the Hannibal residents who need it most.”
Last year, The Food Bank distributed 756,700 meals in Marion County.