Food Bank Welcomes New Directors

The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri welcomes Heather Hargrove, Michael Kateman and Amy Schneider to its Board of Directors.

Hargrove is sales manager at KRCG. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri and previously served as general manager of Holiday Inn Select Executive Center. She is a past president of the Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Network and former chair of the Chamber of Commerce.

Kateman is director of internal communications at the UM System. Previously, he served as executive director of development, alumni and public relations at Columbia College. Kateman holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a master’s in journalism from MU, where he is currently pursuing his Ph.D.

Schneider has served as director of the Columbia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau since 2011. Previously, she was a sales manager for the CVB. She is a graduate of MU.

“These are dedicated professionals who all have a track record of leadership in Columbia,” Executive Director Lindsay Young Lopez said. “We are thrilled to have them join The Food Bank team.”

The new members completed orientation in mid-January and participated in their first board meeting Jan. 26.

The Board of Directors assists in guiding The Food Bank and its mission of feeding hungry people in a 32-county area. The Food Bank serves an average of 104,000 people a month.

Machens Continues to Give back

Making good on a promise to remain a partner in the Mid-Missouri community, Joe Machens Dealerships are donating $28,231 to The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri.

The money was raised during a five-day “Hunger Hits the Road” drive in December. Nine dealerships—eight in Columbia and one in Jefferson City—participated, donating $50 for every vehicle sold.

“We are so grateful to the Machens dealerships for their generosity,” Food Bank Executive Director Lindsay Young Lopez said. “Joe Machens sets a standard for philanthropy and service throughout the region, and we appreciate their ongoing partnership. The owners, employees and customers have made a significant difference in the lives of many, many of our neighbors.”

General managers will present the check to Lopez during a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, at Joe Machens Volkswagen of Columbia, 1200 Vandiver Dr.

During the “Hunger Hits the Road” event, dealers raised an additional $2,131 and 5,615 pounds worth of food from customers for The Food Bank.

The total contribution is the equivalent of 429,080 pounds of food that will now be distributed to hundreds of thousands of area residents in need.

The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri serves approximately 114,000 people every month through 128 agencies.