Who is Operation Food Search? Before I came to intern at Operation Food Search, my answer to this question would be simple: Operation Food Search is a food bank. However, after spending a mere two weeks at this so-called “food bank”, my answer to this question is vastly different.
Operation Food Search is more than simply a food bank; It is an opportunity. An opportunity for the 200,000 individuals who utilize Operation Food Search every month. It is an opportunity to have a full meal, to feel as though someone is looking out for them, and to gain skills that will last a lifetime. Operation Food Search is all of these things, and so much more.
During my time at Operation Food Search, I had the opportunity to work with Cooking Matters– a program that educates under-served children, teens, and adults on nutrition and cooking skills. The instructors for these classes have a passion for helping that is unrivaled. They go above and beyond to help inspire the St. Louis community to prepare healthy, delicious, and affordable meals and they enable them to do so by providing food, recipes, and educational materials.
One in six children in the greater St. Louis region struggles with hunger, and the state of Missouri is ranked among the top 20 states for prevalence of food insecurity. These staggering statistics illustrate how important Operation Food Search is to Missouri and to the St. Louis area.
Operation Food Search is so much more than a food bank. It is an opportunity to nourish and educate neighbors in need, and an opportunity to heal the hurt of hunger.
Rachel Tate, Dietetic Intern
Southern Illinois University