(Joplin, MO) – Families benefited from over 12,700 pounds of food distributed on Thursday, December 7. The drive-through event took place in The Alliance of Southwest Missouri’s parking lot located at 1901 South Pearl Avenue in Joplin. A walk-up line was also made available for residents living nearby and those without transportation. Eight-hundred boxes of free, locally grown, and minimally processed food items made their way into the hands of Missourians in need. The event was forced to start early due to an overwhelming response with traffic backing up streets in multiple directions.
“We gave away the 800 boxes we planned on proving in less than an hour and still had such a long line that we gave away everything left in our pantry. There were community members lined down the block even after we ran out of food. I’m grateful to provide what we can in partnership with our local farmers, and I hope it provides some relief to those who are struggling to put food on the table,” said India Malherbe, Pop-Up Produce Coordinator for The Alliance.
Recipients appreciated receiving beef, sausage, squash, rice, milk, cream cheese, apples, and sweet potatoes. Many expressed sincere gratitude for this food during an expensive time of the year for many families.
The Pop-Up Produce Program is made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA). Through LFPA, the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) seeks to purchase and distribute food from underserved producers by partnering with organizations like The Alliance.
A list of upcoming Pop-Up Produce events can be found on The Alliance website.
About The Alliance of Southwest Missouri:
The Alliance of Southwest Missouri exists to make Southwest Missouri the safest place for kids to thrive. The Alliance identifies concerns, locates resources, and facilitates change through community collaborations, education, and prevention work in Jasper, Newton, Barton, and McDonald County. Our programs exist to prevent childhood abuse, injury, and death by helping children and the adults in their lives in making safer choices and creating safer environments.
Reference:
Kate Kelley, Coalition & Full Potential Coordinator
The Alliance of SWMO
417.782.9899
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