Food Outreach improves access to healthy foods for individuals experiencing nutrition insecurity

New refrigerated truck supports individuals living with cancer, HIV, and diabetes in St. Louis

Food Outreach has a new refrigerator truck in their program to provide nutritional interventions for community members living with life-threatening illnesses in the St. Louis region. Thanks to a transformational gift from Bayer Fund, the philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., the new truck began home deliveries earlier this year.

“This kind of infrastructure investment from Bayer Fund breaks down nutrition insecurity barriers and helps strengthen our capacity to reach more people where they live,” said Julie Lock, Executive Director of Food Outreach. “Individuals who are food and nutrition insecure face disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease, like cancer, HIV, and diabetes.”

New refrigerated truck brings fresh nutrition to individuals living with HIV and cancer in the St. Louis region.

In 2020, Bayer Fund awarded more than $17 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in food and nutrition, STEM education, and community development. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $80 million.

“Throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States,” said Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. “We’re proud to be able to provide support to develop programs that help combat challenges such as food insecurity, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and support services to patients and families managing an illness or disease.”

The new refrigerator truck grows the nonprofit’s reach and supports its client-directed services, all of which are provided at no charge to clients. Food Outreach’s home delivery service increased to 259 homebound clients in the St. Louis region, up 170 from the previous year. In 2021, the organization provided more than 350,000 meals (homebound and non-homebound clients) and made more than 1,900 home deliveries.

A leader in delivering nutrition supporting treatment for the medically fragile.

For 34 years, Food Outreach has been at the forefront of delivering nutritional interventions to reverse complex and evolving health inequities faced by society’s most vulnerable residents. A vital community resource, the organization is the only nonprofit in the greater St. Louis region focused on meeting the nutrition needs of people battling hunger and life-threatening illnesses.

Food Outreach’s frozen prepared meals and grocery program serves each client the equivalent of two medically tailored meals per day, which includes scratch-prepared entrees, fresh produce, grocery staples, pastas, rice, legumes, and frozen proteins (chicken, beef, turkey, and salmon). In addition, clients receive personalized dietetic counseling by Food Outreach’s registered dietitians throughout their enrollment.

To learn more about Bayer Fund visit: https://www.fund.bayer.us.