District 32 to host mobile food pantry April 7

The Perry County School District will host a Free Mobile Food Pantry in partnership with Southeast Missouri Food Bank to help local families who may be struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Mobile Food Pantry will serve 200 households on a first-come, first-served basis. It will be held from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at the District 32 Bus Shed. You should enter from National Guard Drive, and District 32 staff will be on hand to direct vehicles to the entrance. You should not arrive for line-up before 5:45 pm.

It isn’t known ahead of time what foods will be in the delivery, as it is comprised of surplus food items. It will be a combination of non-perishable, fresh, refrigerated and frozen food items.

This is free for local households, with only a few requirements:

• Perry County is under a shelter-in-place order except for essential needs, so one person from your household should come.
• You must stay in your car until instructed to load your food. You should maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and our volunteers.
• Adults over age 18 can pick up the food, and you can only pick up for your own household.

“We know that the coronavirus pandemic has caused many local families to experience layoffs or loss of jobs,” said Kate Martin, communications director at District 32. “While we have been able to provide food and support for families enrolled in our Backpacks For Fridays program, we know that need is growing among families.

“Our District family wanted to provide this outreach to help ease some of the worry in this time of uncertainty. There are no income requirements to meet, and it doesn’t matter if you’re getting other assistance right now.”

The District is able to provide this Mobile Food Pantry, and others in the future, through donations our community has made to the Perry County Children’s Fund, a partnership with United Way of Southeast Missouri.

The next Mobile Food Pantry is set for May 5 and will be sponsored by Landon Besand of State Farm Insurance.

If you’d like to help District 32 provide hunger relief programs like this during the pandemic and the long-term recovery process, you can make a donation by donating to school or to the United Way.

• If you’d like to provide immediate funds to Perry County Children’s Fund, which provides Backpacks For Friday meals, food deliveries and vouchers during breaks from school, and helps families with other needs, you can
• Make an Online Donation at www.perryville.k12.mo.us. Watch for live donation link on April 6.
• Mail donations to Perry County School District 32, 326 College St., Perryville, MO 63775. Write “Children’s Fund” in the check memo. For more information about poverty-relief programs at District 32, email kmartin@pcsd32.com.
• Drop donations off at Landon Besand Insurance Agency at 8 N. French Lane, near the intersection of St. Joseph Street and Perryville Boulevard (Hwy 51) in Perryville. Donations can be dropped off during office hours, 8:30 am to 5 pm in the drop box near the front door. Make checks to PCSD32 and write “Children’s Fund” in the check memo.

Those who wish to donate may make a tax-deductible donation through the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

The United Way partners with and provides funding for District 32 for the Perry County Children’s Fund, which provides Backpacks For Friday and other poverty-relief programs for the children of our community.

In addition, the United Way has created a COVID-19 fund to help the many hourly employees in this region who already live paycheck to paycheck. Mail donations to UWSEMO office at 1417 D N. Mt. Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Write “COVID-19” in the check memo.

You can also donate online at https://www.unitedwayofsemo.org/donate/. For more information, call 573-334-9634.