PRLog — in St. Louis. The Crawford Taylor Foundation has awarded OFS a $1 million leadership gift to propel “The Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in the St. Louis Region.” The campaign will result in a new state-of-the-
“We are honored to receive this magnanimous gift from the Crawford Taylor Foundation, whose history of generosity has greatly impacted our community. Our campaign was accelerated by their leadership, and we are deeply grateful to the foundation for investing in this important work,” said OFS Executive Director Sunny Schaefer. “Their participation in our capital campaign represents a strong confidence in our future.”
The Crawford Taylor gift was instrumental in leveraging a $350,000 matching challenge gift from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation.
Jack Taylor of the Crawford Taylor Foundation founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car, an internationally recognized brand, in 1957.
OFS’s new facility, which will triple its current distribution and program capacity, includes a community demonstration and prep kitchen to expand nutrition education classes; a volunteer center with increased accommodations for individuals, corporations and organizations wanting to make a tangible difference, and; flexible, multi-purpose spaces to convene OFS member agencies and stakeholders for the purpose of creating long-term, innovative solutions to end childhood hunger.
The Campaign to End Childhood Hunger is led by co-chairs Michael Kupstas, founder/managing member of Forks in the Air, LLC and former senior VP and chief franchise officer of Panera; and Joe McClanathan, former president and CEO of Energizer Household Products.
Gerard Craft, executive chef and owner of the Niche Food Group and Kevin Nashan, executive chef and owner of Sidney Street Café and Peacemaker Lobster and Crab Co. are the campaign’s Honorary Chairs.
Operation Food Search has raised 73 percent of its $7 million goal and plans to open its new facility at 1644 Lotsie in Overland, MO in early fall 2016.
Questions about the campaign and requests for information can be directed to Sunny Schaefer at 314-726-5355 ext. 11.
About Operation Food Search
Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (OFS) is a leader in hunger relief, nutrition education, and advocacy serving the Greater St. Louis region and feeding more than 200,000 people each month through a network of 330 community partners. OFS rescues unsaleable yet safe and nutritious food, reducing the amount going to the landfills, to feed local people at no charge who struggle with hunger and food insecurity. One-third of these individuals are children. With a goal to end childhood hunger, OFS partners with Share Our Strength® and No Kid Hungry® for programs including Cooking Matters®, Cooking Matters® at the Store, Operation Backpack, SNAP Outreach and Summer/After School Meals that empower families and help children access the food they need.
For every dollar donated by individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations, 97 cents is devoted to programs and services. Visit https://operationfoodsearch.org. Together, we heal the hurt of hunger.
About the Crawford Taylor Foundation
Since 1997, The Crawford Taylor Foundation has pursued Jack Taylor’s vision of a better
St. Louis region by assisting initiatives that preserve beauty, prevent cruelty, create hope and ultimately serve us all. The Crawford Taylor Foundation is committed to enabling and enhancing programs that create lasting legacies within our communities.
Jack Taylor grew up in St. Louis and attended University City and Clayton public schools before enlisting in the Navy in World War II. He founded Enterprise in 1957; the world’s largest rental car company. Enterprise also operates Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental. Last year, the Clayton-based company reported revenue of $19.4 billion, up from $17.8 billion in 2014.