CUSD 10 & St. Louis Area Foodbank help food insecure families
By Devese “Dee” Ursery
COLLINSVILLE — Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 along with St. Louis Area Foodbank kicked off its yearly Mobile Food Market to help out families that are food insecure.
On Friday, Sep 13, during the mobile market CUSD 10 staff and administrators stepped up as volunteers to hand out produce, dairy, protein, and shelf-stable food items, Director of Special Education and Related Services Alison Underwood. Mixed shelf stable items including a variety of cookies, crackers, snack like food, watermelons, 5 lb bags of potatoes, ground turkey in broth and minute maid juice
“We have a great team of district staff who attend the market each month. This includes school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors, administrators, secretaries, technology staff, and our Kahok Community Project Sponsor to name a few,” Underwood said. “Our School Board President, Gary Peccoa and his wife, Debbie also attend each month as well. We truly enjoy this event and working together.”
The Market is free of charge with rotating items that often include meat, fresh produce and shelf stable food items. “Our Mobile Food Markets support families in the local area no matter where they live or if there are children in the home,” Underwood continued.
Underwood said that they never know what they’re getting in advance. They receive five different pallets of items, to include a fruit, a vegetable, a meat, shelf stable goods and one more item.
“Our Mobile Food Markets support families in the local area no matter where they live or if there are children in the home.” Underwood said. ”There are no requirements to participate in the Mobile Food Markets.”
The mobile food markets are in collaboration with the St. Louis Area Foodbank. They provide pallets of perishable and nonperishable food items to distribute to the families throughout the community. This event occurs monthly starting in September and generally running through May each school year.
According to Underwood the purpose of the mobile market is to provide additional resources to our families who may be experiencing food insecurity. The initiative started in November of 2019, and it was able to continue its mission throughout the COVID closure.
“The collaboration with the St Louis Area Foodbank started as a way to connect district families with additional resources in the community,” Underwood said. “Our hope was that by decreasing food insecurity at home, students would be able to be prepared and ready to learn when they came into the classroom.”
Underwood said mobile food markets were already being implemented in several school districts in the Metro East and St Louis. CUSD 10’s initiative began after district social workers collaborated with these districts and helped to tailor the program in a way that it could be most beneficial for CUSD10 families and community members.
“There are lots of beneficial community programs that exist. The key is helping families connect with the programs and to help decrease barriers that may prevent families from accessing these programs,” Underwood said.
Time, transportation and accessibility can be obstacles for families with school aged children, according to Underwood. By bringing already existing programs like the Mobile Markets into the local Collinsville area, families are better able to access them and benefit from their services.
The Mobile Food Market utilizes a drive-thru model, where cars would line and then pull up to a designated spot where volunteers would load their vehicles with food items. Food distribution is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., however, the start time can vary based on delivery truck arrival.
The Mobile Food Market will last until supply runs out. The event is subject to cancellation based on weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
Additional Mobile Market dates planned for the 2024-25 school year include, Oct.18, Nov. 15 Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 21, Mar. 21, Apr.l 25, and May 16. Dates are subject to change or cancellation.
“Our Mobile Food Markets have been a great way to strengthen the partnership with our CUSD10 families and community members. We average about 100-120 families per month that receive food from the Mobile Markets,” Underworld.
“Beyond the food items that have been distributed over the last five years. We have been able to share information with families about applying for SNAP benefits, registering individuals for the 2020 Census just to name a few resources we have been able to share.”
