Program areas at Operation Food Search
Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search (ofs) is a hunger relief organization that provides free Food, nutrition education and innovative programs proven to reduce Food insecurity. With a strategic focus aimed at ending childhood hunger, ofs empowers families and increases access to healthy and affordable Food. The agency provides Food and services to nearly 200,000 individuals on a monthly basis - one-third of whom are children - through a network of 330 community partners in 27 Missouri and Illinois counties.
Metromarket is a mobile grocery store that travels to areas with limited access to fresh, healthy Food. Metromarket's innovative approach uses a customer model to empower the community to shop at significantly lower prices than retail grocers. Fresh, affordable produce has been carefully selected from local farm partners and is brought directly to partner sites in the community. As a part of the organization's family, metromarket is growing its programming, including recipe tastings, nutrition education and other community nutrition offerings.
The out of school meals program ensures that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. Our summer meals program provides thousands of children with meals through stationary and mobile sites throughout the st. louis region during the summer months. Our afterschool refuel provides children with a meal after the bell rings, either at school or at partner locations such as libraries. These meals provide the fuel needed for children to be successful for the remainder of the day. Operation backpack provides weekly sacks of kid-friendly Food to help students get through the weekend when school meals are not available.
Other program services include metromarket, Food is medicine, nutrition education, advocacy, and other programs that enable the organization to achieve its mission of providing Food today and help create a hunger-free tomorrow.