At Food Outreach, we know good nutrition supports chronic illness treatment and plays a major role in our clients’ overall wellness. Our services disrupt the cycle of nutrition insecurity, malnutrition, and poor health by connecting clients to the resources they need to maintain a balanced diet and manage their diagnoses. As research demonstrates, providing Medically Tailored Meals (MTM) to individuals living with nutrition insecurity and chronic illness is one of the least expensive and most effective ways to achieve improved and more equitable health outcomes.

More community members need our services each year. Through intakes provided by our registered dietitians, Food Outreach welcomed 592 new clients in 2023, a 10% increase over 2022. Moreover, 39% of these individuals were experiencing moderate to severe malnutrition, indicating issues which need to be addressed quickly as nutrition emergencies. Along with this and the many other stressors our clients experience each day, 83% of these individuals live at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), or $15,060 in annual income.

Our clients tell us that Food Outreach’s strengths are the nutrition which fuels their bodies and the dependability of our team of volunteers and staff. Our volunteers consistently show up for our clients. During 2023, Food Outreach benefited from the work and support of 1,705 volunteers—the equivalent of 10 full-time employees. We never have to sell our mission to our volunteers; many have battled cancer treatment themselves or with their loved ones, have lost partners to AIDS, or have parents and family members who struggle to manage chronic illnesses. Our volunteers, alongside Food Outreach’s 17 employees, understand that our bodies must have proper nutrition to work with treatments for improved health. Each member of the Food Outreach team plays a vital role in providing our services with care and expertise in every aspect of this special agency.

No one else in the state of Missouri or western Illinois does what we do. We are the only agency providing nutrition to support treatment for individuals living with the devastating effects of HIV and cancer.

With your generosity in the coming year, we will cook and deliver more than 500,000 freshly prepared, medically tailored meals that will help our clients feel better physically and give them the love and support we all deserve.

Together we can make nutritious food accessible to all.

Please make a year-end donation and help us meet an unprecedented and growing need in our community.

2024 Summer Appeal supporting Food Outreach

2024 Summer Appeal

2024 Summer Appeal supporting Food Outreach