Our Impact

Helen has lived in Mississippi County her whole life … “out in the country,” as she puts it. 

Now 87, nearly 88, she still makes the trip into town each month with the help of a friend. That’s how she picks up her senior food box through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), a USDA program distributed locally by Southeast Missouri Food Bank through partners across its 16-county service area. 

She doesn’t just pick up for herself. She picks up a box for her sister, too. 

Asked what that box means to her, she doesn’t hesitate. “Well, it means life, I guess,” she said. 

For many seniors in Southeast Missouri, that’s the reality. In a region where 1 in 8 seniors faces food insecurity, fixed incomes often don’t stretch far enough to cover rising costs. Many older adults live in rural areas, miles from the nearest grocery store, where access, and affordability, can be a challenge. 

Helen knows that firsthand. 

After working nearly 50 years at a local laundry and cleaners — a job she remembers as “hot, very hot” — she’s been retired for about two decades. Today, she relies on Social Security, with no SNAP to supplement her budget.

As prices rise, she’s had to make difficult adjustments. 

“You don’t eat as much,” she said. “When it’s high, and you got all your bills to pay, you can’t afford to buy high price groceries.” 

That’s where the monthly CSFP box helps. 

Each box includes about 35 pounds of shelf-stable food — fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy — providing consistent nutrition seniors can count on. Across Southeast Missouri, 5,600 seniors receive these boxes each month, and there’s a waiting list for others who qualify. 

“Well, yeah, most of it is good,” she said. “If I can’t eat it, I’ll give it to somebody that can.”

It’s a simple statement, but it reflects something deeper: Neighbors helping neighbors, even in the midst of their own challenges.