As the Missouri Tigers prepared to take on the Troy Trojans, The Food Bank and its volunteers prepared to take on hunger at the annual Score Against Hunger game in September.

Despite temperatures in the 90s, 18 volunteers from The Food Bank donned bright yellow vests, grabbed donation buckets and hit the pavement, going from tailgate to tailgate to raise awareness and collect donations.

“Help us run up the score against hunger!” one volunteer yelled out. “We’re helping out The Food Bank today,” echoed another.

Volunteers handed out mini footballs and stickers in exchange for donations. Eight of the volunteers were from the Columbia College lacrosse team. The team’s assistant coach, Collin Tolsma, shared that the team prioritizes giving back to their community and tries to get involved in some form of community service every month.

“To start the year, we thought there was no better spot than to come back and help out The Food Bank,” Collin said. “We are privileged to have the opportunity to play the sport we love and pursue a college degree. Many may not have the financial ability to donate monetarily, but we are able to donate our time and work a great event with a great cause helping support people in our community that may be going through hard times.”

While volunteers worked to raise money for The Food Bank, staff hosted a tailgate featuring the Score Against Hunger trailer on Mick Deaver Drive. At the tailgate, staff collected donations, sold T-shirts and set up yard games for attendees.

Each gift made before the coin toss went a little bit further this year thanks to Douglas Drown. He generously agreed to match all donations up to $10,000. With this match, we’re excited to announce that the Score Against Hunger game raised more than $25,000 – a new record!

ABC 17 News Anchor Lucas Geisler also volunteered at the event and enjoyed engaging with the community.

"Volunteering for Score Against Hunger allowed me to see the generosity of Tiger fans firsthand. So many people were willing to stop what they were doing, listen to how their donation would help The Food Bank, and give. I enjoyed simply getting to meet so many fans to talk about the issue," Lucas said.

While the Tigers defeated the Trojans 27-17, more work remains to defeat hunger. But yard by yard, play by play, it's all about moving the ball forward. Thank you to our generous community, our hard-working volunteers and our resilient staff. Together, we will keep tackling hunger.

The Score Against Hunger game is just one part of the Score Against Hunger campaign. Mizzou Football and The Food Bank have partnered on the campaign since 1995. It's the Food Bank’s largest fundraising effort, supporting our work to serve over 100,000 people monthly across our 32-county service area. You can be a part of Score Against Hunger by attending the annual game, getting tickets for Taste of the Tigers or giving in solidarity with Tiger fans to make a difference for food security in our area.

“It’s a great way to start the day.”

Angela and her husband Matt were all smiles after volunteering at The Food Bank Market on a hot morning in July. They spent their morning loading boxes of food into cars. They signed up for a volunteer shift to support our Project DASH Program, an important initiative that delivers food to neighbors within 10 miles of The Market who face transportation barriers.

The shift started out calm, with no DoorDash drivers in sight. Then, in a matter of minutes, at least five vehicles lined up in front of The Market with their trunks open, waiting for boxes.

Matt and Angela quickly went down the list, chatting with each driver to make sure they loaded the correct orders into each vehicle. Matt quickly put ten boxes onto a cart and wheeled it out to a sedan. He strategically placed the boxes in the trunk, the back seat and the passenger seat to make sure no orders were left behind.

Matt and Angela repeated this process several times over 30 minutes. They worked quickly and confidently. One of the drivers even commented on their efficiency.

The couple says they love supporting the Project DASH Program, especially because they’re involved at every step of the process. In addition to helping load DoorDash cars, the couple also help assemble the boxes that will be delivered.

They first started volunteering at The Market with other members of the Kiwanis Club of Columbia - Boonslick in 2024. Each month, the group prepares boxes of assorted food for the Project DASH program. Recently, the group built 90 boxes in just 30 minutes. 

The volunteers noticed during one of the box assembly shifts that The Market staff were stretched thin trying to manage their tasks and assisting DoorDash drivers.

“They asked us if we would try it, and we became addicted, and here we are,” Angela said.

Angela says that there are benefits to both types of volunteer shifts within the Project DASH Program.

“I love working with our Kiwanis friends. It's a good time. It's amazing how fast you can knock out 90 boxes, and then I really enjoy (DoorDash distribution). We enjoy sending it off. The drivers are usually really friendly and courteous and helpful, and they're happy to help our neighbors,” she said. 

Matt echoed his wife’s feelings.

“We enjoy building the stack in the warehouse as we're building the boxes, and then we enjoy watching the stack go out into the community on these days. So it's a it's win-win on both sides,” Matt said.

Matt and Angela encourage people to consider volunteering at The Market.

“It's really just a giant family, and everyone makes you feel welcome as a volunteer when you come in. All the professional staff treat everyone that comes in here, our community, our neighbors and the volunteers with the utmost respect,” Matt said. “I think if you're nervous (about volunteering), this is the place to come.”

“I've never left The Food Bank mad, so it's a great way to start a day. It's a great way to start a Wednesday once a month, and it's a great way to start Friday twice a month,” Angela said.

“Head into the weekend with a full heart,” Matt added.

The Project DASH Program is just one way to get involved. The Market needs volunteers for a variety of roles, including stocking shelves, greeting neighbors, checking people in and more! If you are interested in volunteering at The Market, you can register for a new volunteer training session on our website.

Watch the video below to hear from Matt and Angela's about their experience volunteering at The Market:

The Schuyler County Food Room sits on North Park Street in Lancaster, Missouri, just south of the Iowa border. It’s one of The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri’s 145 partner agencies. Each month, the Schuyler County Food Room opens its doors to share food with its community.

In recent years, the pantry has been able to offer even more fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to the support of longtime volunteer Susan and her husband Bert. Susan and Bert regularly bring home-grown produce to the pantry, using seeds Schuyler County Food Room received from The Food Bank.

About two years ago, Bert noticed that the seed packets were often overlooked. He decided to take them home and see if he could grow food for his neighbors.

Today, Bert has three plots on his farm that grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. He’s grown produce like broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, okra and watermelon. He estimated that as of June, he had around 37 tomato plants and 60 or more broccoli and cauliflower plants.

“I understand that people are having some hard times, and it's just about giving it back to them right now. We do use some of the produce out there for sandwiches and stuff like that, but, otherwise, we're going to return almost every bit of this back into the community this year,” Bert said.

Bert has been gardening for a long time and encourages others to try it. His father showed him the ropes, and Bert has taught his children how to garden, as well.

“You have to like to do it,” Bert said. “Try to get your kids in on it, so it can be passed down,” Bert said.

The Schuyler County Food Room also offers a sense of community on distribution days.

“I usually cook dinner. We get a dinner together, and I'll get my meat smoker, and I'll usually cook up the meat and have dinner here for them,” Bert said.

He said that no one should feel nervous about coming to the pantry for the first time.

“It's nothing to be ashamed of, because you're coming here to get the food out of the food room. It's all donated, and it's for that purpose. There is absolutely no need to be ashamed or embarrassed about any of it,” Bert said. “There is even a clothing room on the backside, and they have name-brand clothing in back there, and the ladies are awesome back there that run it."

If you are interested in donating your extra produce to The Food Bank or one of its 145 partner agencies, the Fresh Food Connect app makes it simple. If you download the app, you can find the partner agency closest to you and schedule a drop-off time for your donation.

Hundreds of people gathered at Cosmopolitan Park in Columbia in June for The Food Bank's 9th Annual Hope for Heroes 5K.

Devin Stevenson was one of more than 250 people who ran or walked. This year marked his second time participating in the Hope for Heroes 5K. He stood out in the crowd of runners, carrying an American flag throughout the race. Devin is a member of C.O.L.O.R.S. Guard, which stands for "Carrying Our Loved Ones' Remembered Sacrifices."

"We carry the flag for those who couldn't carry it anymore, whether they were injured in the line of duty or overseas, or fallen, that's why we carry the flags," Devin said.

Devin says he supports organizations that give back to veterans.

"We don't, as a country, take enough care of our veterans. We need to do a better job, and The Food Bank does it, and I'm hoping that organizations can start to see that and support not only The Food Bank but our veterans in general," Devin said.

The Hope for Heroes 5K would not be possible without our sponsors. Columbia Insurance, the presenting sponsor, has been an amazing supporter of The Food Bank for years.

"At Columbia Insurance, we’re committed to supporting communities across our 14-state service region, especially those who have selflessly served in uniform. For nearly a decade, we’ve proudly supported the Hope for Heroes 5K, where it’s always incredible to see neighbors, families and local businesses come together to help fight hunger," Columbia Insurance Communications Strategist Mary Ellen Lohmann said.

Taren Clark and several of her coworkers from Aurora Organic Dairy, another sponsor for the Hope for Heroes 5K, registered to run.

"It was actually my idea. I'm into running, so I convinced all my coworkers to run with me," Taren said. "We support Float Your Boat, and now that that's going away, we did the last voyage this year, we're trying to get into a different thing, and hopefully, the 5k is something we can do every year."

The Hope for Heroes 5K would also not be possible without the support of our volunteers. The Food Bank hosted 18 volunteers this year who served a total of 54 hours. The volunteers helped set up the course, cheered on runners and handed out water and medals.

Including in-kind support (non-cash goods and services), the 9th Annual Hope for Heroes 5K raised more than $65,000 to help support veterans in our 32-county service area facing food insecurity.

The proceeds from the Hope for Heroes 5K will benefit The Food Bank's veterans programs, including the VIP Veteran Pack Program. The Food Bank distributes 560 Veteran Packs a month across 13 counties. Veteran Packs are monthly boxes that include nutritious food and personal care items. These packs include ready-to-eat entrees, soups, fruits, vegetables and toiletries such as razors, body wash and deodorant.

A family who receives Veteran Packs shared with us that getting their box each month brings them joy.

"We are two senior citizens, so it helps us save in millions of ways. It's amazing how much we save on our grocery bill," they said.

The Food Bank plans to grow the Hope for Heroes 5K. The Food Bank President and CEO, Lindsay Lopez, announced at the event that the 10th Annual Hope for Heroes in 2027 will feature both a 5K and a 10K. The race will be held earlier in the year at a new location.

More details about next year's race will be released at a later time.

A bowling alley, a restaurant, a movie theater, a miniature golf course. These are all places you might consider celebrating turning another year older. Grant Timbrook chose The Food Bank Volunteer Room. 

Grant, a pastor at Prairie Grove Baptist Church, and dozens of his church members packed The Food Bank’s Volunteer Room across three different shifts one Saturday in May. Grant decided to turn an occasion usually spent celebrating one person into an opportunity to serve countless neighbors across his community. Grant says that as he gets older, he’s learned that he doesn’t need gifts and wants to focus on giving back.

“I'm grateful for my birthday, I'm grateful for another year in this life and on this world, and that God's given me,” Grant said. “Every year, I just try to do something different to bless other people, and this year I'll be 55, and so I thought, how about spending my birthday weekend trying to fill 55 volunteer slots here at The Food Bank.”

Grant said he chose The Food Bank because we can accommodate groups of all ages and all abilities. He said planning ‘55 for 55’ was a simple process.

“The communication has always been great, either through phone call or through email or through the website, and there's just a lot of options available, which I like, because it gets all of our age groups involved. If someone can't be here on a Monday, there's a possibility that Saturdays are available. If weekends aren't good for you, then weekdays, weeknights are available, depending upon the time of the year, and so it's just a very easy process, and I really encourage other group leaders to check out The Food Bank for their group to come serve,” Grant said.

He also supports The Food Bank’s mission.

“It's easy work but important work in helping get food to those in need,” Grant said.

The first two volunteer shifts packed 627 Senior Boxes, monthly packages of shelf-stable food for eligible seniors 60 or older. Volunteers formed an assembly line and filled the boxes with protein, including canned beef, chili, beans and peanut butter. The boxes also had canned vegetables and fruits along with rice, evaporated milk and juice.

Senior boxes are especially important for our service area. Feeding America data shows that more than 90,000 seniors in Missouri are food-insecure. In the past, neighbors who received Senior Boxes have shared that the food has allowed them to spend money on other necessities, including medical bills. An 87-year-old neighbor once shared that they do not drive, and the Senior Box saves them from having to figure out how to get to the grocery store.

After such a significant number of Senior Boxes were packed, the Volunteer Room pivoted to a new project that needed attention: frozen pork. That third Saturday volunteer shift reworked at least 3,000 pounds of pork to help prepare it for local families. With protein becoming increasingly difficult to acquire, partner agencies and neighbors will be particularly appreciative of this delivery.

The Food Bank’s work is not possible without our volunteers, and we are grateful for each person who generously gives their time. Each hour of volunteer time allows us to spend more on food. 

“I hope after this experience, many will want to return often to volunteer at The Food Bank,” Grant said.

Happy Birthday, Grant! Thank you for choosing to celebrate with us while also supporting our neighbors. Learn more about The Food Bank’s different volunteer opportunities here. If you feel inspired to host an event similar to Grant’s, you can register a group to volunteer by using this form on our website.

Food insecurity is personal to Mira Tosh, and an issue she has been passionate about for years.

“I had a friend in middle school who faced food insecurity and received buddy packs, and I noticed that there was a stigma in middle school,” Mira said.

Four years ago, a teacher assigned an optional project to her freshman class. For some, it may have been another assignment. For Mira? It was the beginning of her legacy at Rock Bridge High School: a club known as Feeding COMO.

“I planned a potluck with trivia and invited a bunch of community members just to see how it would go,” she explained.

That first event was a success.

“We raised a lot of money, and there was great participation, and, of course, lots of food. I got to talk to a lot of people about food insecurity,” Mira said. “It's kind of a hard topic to talk about, but being able to do so, surrounded by food, surrounded by good people who have understanding and willingness to learn, really made my heart happy.”

Feeding COMO started with just Mira. Today, it’s a club with 30 members.

“Each monthly meeting, we do some sort of service project. Sometimes it's like creating snack packs for The Food Bank Market, or it's creating snack packs for teachers at our school,” Mira said. 

Mira and Feeding COMO held their fourth annual fundraising event for The Food Bank at Leech Shelter at Cosmo-Bethel Park in May.

“We try to make it a very fun event. There's a lot of free food. There's going to be trivia. The trivia incorporates some stuff about food insecurity,” she said. “We usually have a bunch of crafts sitting around and games for people to play.” 

This was Mira’s last year participating in the event as a student because she graduated in May. Mira plans to attend the University of Missouri and wants to continue being involved in efforts to improve food security. She also wants a career that will allow her to continue helping people.

“I'm going to double major in public health and biochemistry. I want to be a physician, but I also want to do a lot of work on the community level with nutrition and making sure people have the nutrients needed to have good health,” she said.

As for Feeding COMO? Mira’s legacy will live on.

“We have juniors that have been really involved that will continue to lead the group next year.”

Nearly each week, a dedicated group of students led by Sarah Frost from Battle High School (Columbia Public Schools) arrives at The Food Bank Market, ready to help staff serve their neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Their enthusiasm and dedication embody the spirit of service, but for them, this experience is more than just a routine—it’s about building a future for themselves and for others.

Frost finds importance in building these futures for her students, especially as she mentors a diverse group of students. “Leading a volunteer group of students with diverse skills and support needs provides an opportunity to help them develop essential vocational skills,” she shares.

Taking ownership of essential tasks within a structured environment like The Market motivates students to take initiative, problem-solve, and work as a team. They are also able to build confidence and take pride in their contributions, knowing that their time is making a difference for others. Whether it’s organizing inventory in the warehouse or assisting neighbors on the retail floor, these students gain perseverance and independence.

But perhaps the most profound impact comes from the connection they experience from The Market’s staff members. “The team there is so kind and accepting to everyone,” Frost reflects. “This genuine kindness provides an environment for others to thrive and demonstrates to students how valuable a workplace can be.”

Week after week, these students have returned, eager to contribute, learn and grow. They leave not only with professional skills, but with a deeper sense of self-esteem and belonging. And for their teacher, this experience is invaluable. “It is so impactful we can’t wait to return each week!”

Each hour spent at The Market holds the potential to be life-changing, not only for these students, but for their teachers, their fellow volunteers and the community they serve as well.

At The Food Bank, volunteers play an essential role in our mission. One recent volunteer member, Dr. Kathryn Fishman-Weaver, shared her time at The Food Bank Market and Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen.

In a heartfelt post to her Facebook page, Dr. Fishman-Weaver described her experience working with neighbors and fellow volunteers, vividly detailing the people, sights, sounds and atmosphere she encountered during her time volunteering.

Her words share a glimpse into the work of The Food Bank’s volunteer community, both behind the scenes and working with neighbors, to help create a welcoming and safe space for those experiencing hunger.

Here’s what she wrote:

The weight of the world can crush you. I know.

But sometimes you get to share a cinnamon cookie with someone you just met. And sometimes you find your friend who has the serious day job standing in a giant cardboard box. This box, originally made for potatoes, is today filled to the brim with pastries.

Sometimes before the food pantry opens, we play ABBA loudly and dance with the frozen peaches. Sometimes the soup kitchen has enough ranch dressing for all the broccoli and even hot sauce for the rice.

Yes, the lines are long. Tonight you notice new faces along with familiar ones, grandmothers and teenagers, and young men who could be in my college seminar. We talk politics and poetry. We talk about ordinary things: tomatoes, the weather.

An older man roots around a large bowl of bananas looking for the green ones I had purposefully tucked away on the bottom. While choosing one, he gives me a lecture on chemical reactions—how starch turns to sugar. The change, he says, happens so quickly.

Whether he meant it as metaphor or not, food insecurity can be like that, too. I see it on the face of a woman, just about my age.

"How does this work?" she asks.

We walk together a bit.

"Would you like a clementine?"

I toss her one like a softball. She catches it and we laugh.

“Can you peel it in one piece?” I challenge.

Citrus wafts between us. It fills the air with all that is said and unsaid in these sacred spaces.

Thank you, Dr. Fishman-Weaver, for sharing this glimpse into your experience volunteering at these agencies! If you or someone you know would like to join in our mission to end hunger in our 32-county service area, please visit https://sharefoodbringhope.org/volunteer/ to sign up for an upcoming volunteer opportunity with The Food Bank, or visit https://sharefoodbringhope.org/programs/food-locator/ to connect with a partner agency near you.

Interfaith Garden tells a story of collaboration, compassion and care. This labor of love was born from a partnership between Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) and St. Thomas More Newman Center Parish in Columbia.

The garden’s initial roots trace back to 2006, when CBS first established the garden as a servicelearning initiative for students. The concept was to harvest fresh fruits and vegetables and donate the bounty to The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri. Student volunteers served to maintain the garden and enjoy the satisfaction of purposeful work.

By 2009, the garden’s potential had outgrown its initial framework, prompting an invitation to the Newman Center to join the effort. Together, these faith communities expanded the vision, officially transforming the plot into the Interfaith Garden – a testament to the power of collaboration in addressing
complex social and economic challenges.

The Interfaith Garden thrives on the generosity of many hands. Volunteers come from diverse walks of life – scout troops, college students, schoolchildren, church congregants, synagogue members and anyone drawn to the idea of helping others while stewarding the earth.

The garden’s membership in the Community Garden Coalition has been significant, providing essential resources like fencing and raised beds. Grants from Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri have further boosted the garden’s success by funding equipment upgrades and more. These partnerships help reinforce the garden’s identity as a true community endeavor, supported by a collective drive to make a difference for others.

And many hands lead to plentiful harvests. The Interfaith Garden’s very first harvest yielded about 300 pounds of vegetables. Over the years, experience and an increase in volunteers have allowed the garden to achieve an average annual yield of 1,700 pounds.

From tomatoes and peppers to strawberries, sweet potatoes, radishes, okra and more - the wide variety
of crops grown reflects the garden’s coordinators' and volunteers' ambition and care. Garden Coordinator Susan DeMian says that future harvests will see more fruit, too; the garden's orchard is just beginning to
produce persimmons, apples and chestnuts.

The Interfaith Garden also fosters connections beyond its crops. Relationships grow among volunteers, faith groups and the community overall through their shared sense of unity.

In a world often divided by differences, the Interfaith Garden is a reminder of what is possible when we
come together. Here, the act of planting a seed becomes an act of hope and harmony. With every passing year, the garden fulfills its mission to feed the hungry, nurture the earth and bring a community closer together.

If you’re interested in sharing the bounty from your garden with neighbors, learn more about our Garden Giving Program at sharefoodbringhope.org/volunteer/garden-giving.

In the Lake Ozark region amidst vast lake shorelines and rolling hills sits Camden County, a resilient community. Like others across the nations, many residents of Camden County experience - or know someone who is experiencing - food insecurity.

While Camden County is renowned for its natural beauty, drawing thousands of visitors each summer, the struggle for many locals is less visible. The area's rising cost of living has made it even more difficult for some residents to make ends meet. In fact, Camden County, along with neighboring Benton and Morgan Counties, has more food insecure residents than Missouri's average rate of 15%.*

Although food insecurity is keeping pace at a concerning rate in Camden County, it has been a persistent issue for decades. Recognizing this about 14 years ago, local leaders in Camden County joined with The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri to take action against hunger and support their neighbors. 

The Camden Mobile Market was originally the brainchild of The Food Bank which piloted the Mobile Market program throughout Central and Northeast Missouri in 2004. The Mobile Market program's purpose is to give food access to neighbors, at no cost, who may live in an area without accessible brick-and-mortar pantries, or areas where the amount of need is higher than local brick-and-mortar pantries can provide. 

Turning this from an idea into the solidified program it is today requires more than The Food Bank’s trucks, drivers, and food supply. Mobile Markets require the dedicated partnership of many volunteer members and volunteer groups, whose compassion and commitment to helping those facing hunger would stay steadfast month to month, throughout the changing seasons. 

Today, Anita Fleis serves at the heart of this team and has been leading volunteer efforts for this Mobile Market for over a decade. She was brought into this effort, alongside her husband, by the late Bill Fleis, who originally partnered with The Food Bank to pilot the Camden County Mobile Market in Camdenton.

The Camden County Mobile Market initially began operating near Camden County transitional housing on Highway 5, before eventually relocating to its current location at The Church at Osage Hills.  

The move was inspired by the challenges Anita and other leaders saw volunteers facing. 

“There are a lot of the volunteers who are retired, and carrying big boxes of food to a car was pretty taxing. So… We started chatting with the church in Osage Hills about moving it to their parking lot… and we successfully moved it there,” Anita says. 

The Camden County Mobile Market at The Church at Osage Hills is a unique mobile distribution, compared to others hosted by The Food Bank, as they have adopted their own model to efficiently share food with neighbors who visit. 

The Church at Osage Hills purchased and stores shopping carts near the parking lot, to then which volunteers are able to fill each cart based on household size, and then bring the cart to a designated vehicle to load food items into the car. This method has served them well, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“This seems to be working efficiently, and we still can have the fellowship, and people could feel served, and we didn't have to worry about who was getting out of their cars and who wasn't…” Anita says of their low-contact distribution model. 

This model has also helped them serve households equitably and efficiently while keeping up with high need. On average, the Camden County Mobile Market distribution serves over 400 individuals per month. 

“We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I’m honored to serve our community in this way,” says lead volunteer and Church of the Osage Hills Children‘s Pastor, LaDonna Beckmeyer. 

At its core, this effort is rooted in a long-standing tradition of compassion from individuals who are deeply committed to supporting those facing hunger in their community. Though the need in this area is great, The Food Bank is able to fulfill its mission thanks to the tireless dedication of volunteers who make this work possible—month after month, year after year, through every season and every challenge. 

The Camden County Mobile Market holds particular significance for Anita, who continues this work in honor of her late husband. “It’s very much a passion of mine. It was an even larger passion for my husband, whom I lost to leukemia seven and a half years ago. My hope is that it always continues on,” she shares. 

The Food Bank is immensely grateful for the ongoing commitment of remarkable volunteers like Anita and her fellow team members, whose collective efforts make this work possible. 

*Feeding America’s 2022 Map the Meal Gap Study