April 18, 2012
Vol 14
July 13, 2011
No 16
Vol 13 No 28
Operation Food Search needs funds to stay in its current building, or a new warehouse space.
Operation Warehouse By Shelly A. Schneider
IN this Issue
The organization’s mission is simple – serve those in need. Operation Food Search does just that. In fact, it serves more than 24,000 people a month by supplying food to 30 food pantries in St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren Counties. In order to continue serving those in need, Operation Food Search needs a helping hand. Denny Gladieux, community relations director for Operation Food Search’s St. Charles Distribution Center, said the lease on the organization’s current warehouse expires on May 31, 2012. The distribution center is located in O’Fallon. “We either need funds to carry on in the building that we’re in, or move to a new warehouse,” Gladieux said. “We’d rather stay here, if at all possible.” The owner of the current warehouse, he said, is extremely generous, but he needs rent money. “He’s already discounted the amount of the lease payment,” Gladieux said. “It’s $4,500 per month. We prefer to stay where we are. We feel we can serve this community better by having a distribution center in the heart of the county.” O’Fallon, he said, is centrally located and the warehouse is close to I-70. “Beggars can’t be choosers,” he said. “If there’s a building (that meets our needs) and we can get it for two to five years, we’ll move.” Operation Food Search, founded in 1981, is the largest distributor of free food in the St. Louis bi-state region. With a network of 265 agencies (food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens) over 120,000 people are provided food assistance each month. Almost half of those served are children. “We opened a second distribution center out here in 2008, because of the higher gas prices,” Gladieux said. “People would have to drive to U-City to get food. Fifty percent of the food pantries we serve wouldn’t be able to do that because it would cost too much.” Karen Gladieux, community outreach coordinator for the St. Charles Distribu-
Volunteers pack weekend food backpacks at Operation Food Search.
tion Center, said St. Charles County is an amazing community. “It’s the most caring community,” she said. “If you ask any of the food pantries we serve, they’ll tell you the impact of having a distribution center in the county.” One of the organization’s programs, Operation Backpack, provides food to at-risk children on weekends when they are away from the free breakfast and lunch program at school. “We started in September 2010 with 36 kids,” Gladieux said of the program that currently serves the Wentzville School District. “In May of 2011, we had 200 kids. Today, I’m packing 425 backpacks, and that’s just in the Wentzville school district. Other school districts are asking for our aid, too.” In order to keep providing food to area food pantries, serving 24,000 residents each month, and providing children with food each weekend, Operation Food Search needs your help. “Operation Food Search has been awarded $150,000 Missouri NAP credits,” Denny Gladieux said. “We can offer equivalent NAP credit to qualified mon-
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Lincoln County Life . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Photo by Ray Rockwell
etary donations.” Ch. 147 – Corporate Franchise Tax The Missouri Department of EconomCh. 148 – Bank Tax, Insurance Premiic Development will issue 50 percent tax um Tax, Other Financial Institution Tax credit to an eligible Missouri taxpayer Ch. 153 – Express Companies Tax who makes a qualified contribution. The Missouri NAP credits have a five This tax credit can be applied to: year carry forward special attribute. All Ch. 143 – Income tax, excluding withSee OPERATION page 4 holding tax
MOVIE PEEK
School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Shelly Schneider / Recipe . . . . . . . 10 Joe Morice / Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 11
See MOVIE page 7
“The Three Stooges” - Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox
What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Pet Adoptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
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