Food Pantry

Baylee Watts, the Missouri Department of Social Services' media director, said in an email that the department is working with its electronic benefits vendor to distribute full November benefits.

Illinois residents are expected to receive their outstanding benefits by November 20.

Partial SNAP payments, grassroots efforts are not enough to fill the gap for 42 million Americans awaiting aid.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be paused on Saturday due to the government shutdown. Here is a resource for people to find food during this pause.

Employees at food banks said the SNAP freeze could put a strain on their organizations, which have already seen an increase in demand this year.

The Salvation Army temporarily shut down the food pantry this spring. The nonprofit is hopeful a cleanup Saturday will help restore its East St. Louis location.

An East St. Louis pantry said it used to get 12 to 13 pallets of produce per week. Now, it’s four or five after the USDA eliminated a program that reimburses states for purchasing produce from local farmers.

Families in the St. Louis region needing nutritious meals can now choose from a variety of food items at the International Institute’s first food pantry. The partnership with Operation Food Search will help feed 40 families weekly.

This is the second year in a row the O’Fallon Garden Club earned the national honor for largest amount donated per capita.

The investment includes more space to store shelf-stable and perishable food as well as a new teaching kitchen and other programming for members of the regional community.