Aug. 10, 2009

Columbia, Mo. - Mizzou Athletics has been a longtime partner with the Central Missouri Food Bank and on Monday morning, Governor Jay Nixon and Mizzou Director of Athletics Mike Alden joined Missouri Director of Agriculture Jon Hagler, Missouri House of Representatives member Stephen Webber, and various community volunteers in the unloading of a bulk food delivery at the Food Bank headquarters in Columbia.

The delivery was made possible through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will help to serve 92,000 people this month throughout a 32 county area in Mid-Missouri.

"With unemployment in our state at a 25-year high, there are a lot of people in Missouri who are hurting, so I'm glad an organization like the Central Missouri Food Bank is getting a little extra help today in providing for those in need," Gov. Nixon said. "I'm also proud to lend a hand in making this delivery along with my friend Mike Alden and other representatives of the MU athletic department, all great supporters of the food bank's vital mission. It's charitable giving and hard-working volunteers like the folks here today that provide the biggest hand up to the community in tough times."

The TEFAP program has provided a variety of food commodity deliveries to the Central Missouri Food Bank over the last few months. Between May and September of 2009, the food bank will receive 511 frozen turkey breasts, 827 units of mixed fruit, 1,683 units of cheese, 827 units of applesauce, 827 units of peaches, 638 units of canned pork, 1,837 units of peanut butter and 638 frozen hams. The Central Missouri Food Bank is one of six food banks around the state receiving similar deliveries, joining food banks in St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Kansas City, St. Joseph and Springfield.

"We certainly value our partnership with the Central Missouri Food Bank and that partnership is one of our most important here at Mizzou," Alden said. "Peggy Kirkpatrick and her staff do a phenomenal job providing assistance to families in need in Mid-Missouri and I appreciate Governor Nixon asking us to join him today as the Recovery Act reaches our neighbors in Columbia and the surrounding communities."

Food and household goods from the Central Missouri Food Bank serve approximately 13,000 families each month in Boone County and Mizzou Athletics will again partner with the Food Bank in 2009-10, including popular events such as Mizzou Football's "Score Against Hunger" campaign, "Can the Huskers" for Tiger Volleyball, the Mizzou Basketball Black & Gold Game and many others.